Don't Let Me Down
by anAnomaLy
Summary: After graduating from Hogwarts, James and Lily are immediately thrust into the realities of a Wizarding World  torn apart by war. It seems that, as their relationship grows in strength, so does the power of the Dark Rising.
1. Rhin Torlan

We do not own any part of the Potterverse. All characters, settings, and themes belong exclusively to JK Rowling; they're used here in play. Credit for the title goes to those glorious Beatles.

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One hundred years ago, Rhin Torlan was a bustling family estate, filled with laughing children, gossiping servants and smiling family friends who often visited the Potters in their beautiful, ancient house. As the years passed and the Potter youngsters grew, the house drifted back into silence and was only busy during the summers, when the children were home from school. Then one day, shortly after the eldest, Charlus, graduated from Hogwarts, guests from every high born family in wizarding society filled the house and grounds for a grand occasion: the marriage of Charlus and Marla Potter.

Though in their youth Charlus and Marla frequently entertained their friends at home, spreading laughter and the clinking of champagne glasses across the estate grounds, as they aged, the house fell quiet once more. For try as they might, they never succeeded at filling their home with children as Charlus' parents had. Until one unusually warm day in late March of 1960, when Marla gave birth to her first and only child, James. Needless to say, the infant's parents were overjoyed. Before long, light and laughter filled the halls of Rhin Torlan again, for James was a gregarious little boy with a seemingly inexhaustible reserve of energy. No matter how much trouble he caused, his parents could not help but dote upon the son who had brought life back into their home.

When James reached his eleventh year and began his magical education at Hogwarts, the house felt almost unbearably silent. But not for long. In June, the summer holiday arrived, and young master James returned home, bringing with him three equally eager, equally energetic lads who had all been invited to stay as long as they desired (or as long as their own parents could spare them). And so a pattern began. During the school year, Charlus and Marla were alone in the great house, occasionally entertaining friends and always looking forward to the day that James returned from Hogwarts. During the summer months, the Marauders spent weeks on end roaming the grounds of Rhin Torlan, filling its halls with jest and laughter and generally making Charlus and Marla feel as though they were young again.

And then, one cold December day in James' seventh year, the pattern was broken. Marla Potter died, presumably by accidental magic or a spell gone wrong. Her husband and son would never be certain what happened. After her death, the house seemed empty, lifeless and far, far too large. When James left a few days later to finish his final year at Hogwarts, the emptiness was almost too great for Charlus to bear. Rhin Torlan was now nothing but an old house whose rooms were filled with only memories and ghosts of happier days. Charlus had reached the age when many of his friends were either deceased or too ill to do much traveling. Even if there had been guests to entertain, he could not bear to play host without his beloved wife by his side.

He would, however, make an exception for his son. Charlus had already planned and paid for a two-week holiday in Marseilles for James, Sirius, Remus and Peter immediately following their graduation. When James had written his father to ask if his best friends might spend a week or two at Rhin Torlan after they all returned from France, Charlus had leaped at the chance for some company other than his faithful, aged house elf, Cholly. The lads had been home for a week now, and the house teemed with life again. Today in particular, an air of anticipation and excitement had permeated its walls. This was partially due to a set of owls that all four boys had received two days earlier, containing the time and location of a secret meeting that they would be attending later this evening.

The other reason for the excitement in the air was one mostly felt by James. This evening - at any moment now, actually - a certain redhead and her best friend would be arriving to dine with them. Since James had not seen Lily since their Hogwarts graduation three weeks ago, he was understandably anxious for her imminent arrival. The plan, which had been arranged by owl, was for Lily and Marlene to join the boys for dinner so that all six new recruits could travel to the Order meeting together.

The girls were due to arrive at six o'clock, and it was now nearing half-past. Charlus was still upstairs in his study, but all four boys were waiting patiently in the front drawing room. Or rather, Remus and Peter were waiting patiently, and Sirius was busy trying to distract James, who had suddenly begun to worry that something had happened to his girlfriend while she was traveling.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Prongs," Sirius exclaimed, exasperated. "Get a grip. She's probably still at home, trying to decide which shade of lipstick looks best with whatever dress she's picked out to impress you with. She's _fine_."

"You can't know that," James protested, fidgeting in his seat. "I was reading just this morning in the _Prophet_ about Dark Arts activity that's been reported down in Spain, and that's where they were."

Remus put down the book he was poring over long enough to interject: "That's where they were about three weeks ago, Prongs. Besides, you had an owl from her yesterday, remember? And those reports were just rumors. Nothing's been confirmed."

James flopped down on a squashy armchair. "You're probably right, Moony-"

"-I am-" interrupted Remus.

"-But if you're wrong, I'll smother you in your sleep," finished James.

"All this talk of murder and mayhem!" said Sirius, rolling his eyes. "Gods, can't we get a bit of a breather from it? For goodness' sake, we're off to sign our lives away at the end of the evening. Let's talk about something pleasant. Like Jeanne Buchault's glorious body, for example-"

Peter tittered. "I think you're the only one qualified to really discuss it, Padfoot," he grinned, "seeing as you got her in her knickers before we'd even opened the Firewhisky!"

Sirius chucked a pillow at Peter. "Are you calling the French love of my life _easy_?"

"Are you implying that you get a different love of your life in every country? Slag!"

As the good-natured ribbing continued on, James' attention wandered. He stared at the clock resting on the bookshelf, watching the seconds tick by, and found his thoughts back in Gryffindor Boys' Dormitory 3C, and the last time he'd been waiting so agonizingly for something…

_"Oi, Padfoot, have you seen Wormtail?" James asked, flinging open the door to their shared room._

_"I haven't," Sirius shook his head, looking up from the homework he'd been putting off. "He's late, isn't he?"_

_"Obscenely," confirmed James, his temper beginning to rise. "Is Moony in the showers?"_

_Sirius grunted. "I think he figured that Worm would be a while."_

_"Bollocks," James swore, shucking off his shoes. "Leave it to Peter to flake on the most important night of our career."_

_An hour earlier, Peter had set off alone for the Kitchens. As the teachers had been informed to be on the lookout for the four boys, they had decided it would be best to send Peter off on his own. He had with him James' Invisibility Cloak, a charmed burlap sack full of nose-biting teacups, and the Marauders' Map. While James did Patrols with Lily, Remus would head out to the Shrieking Shack to gather the materials for the second stage of the prank. Four large pigs, each with a number 1, 2, 3, or 5 painted on its back, were corralled in the Shack. Remus would drive them across the grounds later that night and set them loose inside the castle. Sirius was visiting all the most-frequented toilets throughout the school and performing Imperturbable Charms on each. Then, he and James would plant the Filibuster's Fireworks all around the Great Hall, to go off as soon as their last meal at the school had finished. Yes, the next day would be bedlam, but they had to wait on Peter to return. Their Map was the culmination of several terms' neglect of schoolwork, and it was essential in finishing the night's jobs._

_"Sorry, mate," Sirius sympathized, "but don't be too hard on him. He's probably gotten hung up, or something."_

_"What's this? You're telling me to go easy on Pete?"  
><em>  
><em>Sirius smirked. "My focus is split. If I didn't have this essay to write, I'd be all for tracking him down. He's been a bit dodgy, lately. Think he's worried about leaving school? I found him up in the high tower the other day, all red-eyed like he'd been crying. Poor little sap."<em>

_"Oh, write your essay," grumbled James. He felt irritable. They needed things to move smoothly tonight if the next day's pranks were going to go off well, and Wormtail getting emotional about hallways and classrooms was definitely counter-productive. Not that he hadn't had those same misgivings about leaving Hogwarts; the point was that the whole plan would be put off schedule if Pete didn't turn up soon. _

_James sat on the edge of his bed, gnawing at a hangnail on his left hand. The clock on Remus' bedside table ticked away the seconds slowly as Sirius worked and James waited. After a few minutes, James crawled to the foot of his bed and rummaged through his open trunk for a copy of _Which Broomstick?_, and flipped through it listlessly. It was an old issue, and he'd already read it cover to cover at least four times. He made to throw it away, but his halfhearted lob missed the bin by several feet._

_"Well, that's that," Sirius said, rolling up his parchment. "Though I think it's absolute bollocks that we have to write this stupid exit essay."_

_"Haven't you just finished it?"_

_"Well yes, but I think it's a bit silly to give them a load of bullshit about What I Learned During My Glorious Education At Hogwarts when really, the majority of things I learned were either in this room, the Room of Requirement, or the Shrieking Shack."_

_"Be that as it may," James chuckled, "you're finished, now. Think about it. The only thing we've got now is meet-and-greet'ing all our relatives tomorrow who come to watch the Passing Out ceremony, and then we're getting on the train or heading off on holidays. That's it. Well-" he added, "that's it minus the fact that we've got a string of pranks to pull if Peter ever gets his arse back in here."_

_"Just his arse?" Sirius asked, wide-eyed, climbing onto James' bed and sitting cross-legged opposite his best mate. "Didn't fancy you a pouf, Jamie-boy."_

_"Oh, stuff it," James scowled. _

_"I am going to pretend you didn't say that, Prongs," Sirius smirked, "because you're making my job very, very easy."_

_At that moment, Remus entered the boys' room, his hair damp and skin slightly flushed.  
>"Oh, hullo, lads," he said, spotting the two of them. "I figured you'd be gone by now."<em>

_"We _ought_ to be-" James said, but Sirius cut him off._

_"Methinks little Petey-pie has gotten hung up replacing all of the breakfast teacups," he explained, ignoring James' cross expression._

_"Ah," said Remus, pulling a t-shirt from his trunk and tugging it over his head. "Well that puts everything a bit off."_

_"Does indeed," said Sirius cheerfully. "Though I went ahead and Impeturbed all the Slytherin toilets as an early graduation present to myself."_

_Remus laughed, shaking his head. Even James couldn't resist cracking a smile._  
><em>"Only you, Padfoot," he conceded. <em>

_After another ten minutes, Sirius produced a pack of cards and the three of them began a game of Exploding Snap on the floor. They had only been playing a few minutes when the door to Gryffindor Boys 3C was flung open. James, Sirius and Remus all looked up in alarm, as it appeared there was no one there. There was, however, the sound of labored breathing. Then, Sirius noticed about a half-inch of tennis shoe in the doorway, and his face brightened._

_"Wormtail! Didn't think you'd show up! What kept you, mate?"_

_Peter's flushed, round face appeared as he pulled the Cloak off him._  
><em>"I got caught!" he gasped, bending at the waist to rest his hands on his knees.<em>

_The other three mischief-makers jumped to their feet._

_"What d'you mean, you 'got caught'?" James asked, stricken._

_"Who got you, Wormtail?" Sirius demanded._

_Peter flung himself down on his trunk._  
><em>"Bloody Argus Filch, that's who."<em>

_Remus felt himself grow pale. The caretaker, who was relatively new to the school, having started during their third year at school, was notoriously hard-nosed about school rules. If he found the Map, and reported it to Dumbledore, the four of them were going to be in tremendous trouble. To his immense relief, Peter was nodding._

_"He caught me in the corridor on the way back from the Kitchens. I forgot to put the sodding Cloak back on, and I walked right into him. He jumped about a foot, and I just had enough time to pull it over me and run for it before he could make a grab. I ran all the way to the third floor and ducked into a classroom. I heard him whoop about something and I took the passage behind the tapestry up to the fifth and snuck my way from there. Prefects were stalking the area outside the Fat Lady and it took me ages to get up there. Anyway, I'm here now, and I got the teacups changed out, and everything's going to be fine, just as soon as I can catch my breath. Gods, I thought he had me. I thought we were doomed," he began to laugh. "Oh, how I hate that man."_

_James found himself laughing, too._  
><em>"Narrow escape, that one," he said, clapping Peter on the shoulder. "Now, give us the Map. Remus has got to do his bit, and then Sirius and I have some more details to work out. You've done beautifully, Wormtail."<em>

_Peter reached into the chest pocket of his shirt. His expression flickered, and he checked both pockets of his pants._  
><em>"Hang on," he grunted, and picked up the silvery Invisibility Cloak, and shook it out. His ears turned bright red.<em>  
><em>A silence fell upon the room.<em>

_"Wormtail, give us the Map," James said, holding out his hand with a frozen sort of smile on his face._

_"James, I-"_

_"Not funny, Wormtail," Remus said warningly. "Where's the Map?"_

_Peter looked to be on the verge of tears._  
><em>"I think…"<em>

_"Don't say it!" Sirius interjected. "Please, don't say it, Wormtail."_

_"I think I lost it."_

_James' stomach dropped._  
><em>"You <em>what_?" he said nervously. "Peter, come on, don't play. You didn't lose the Map? Come on, you've had your laugh, we've been pranked, you got us."_

_Sirius' mouth hung open._  
><em>"Worm… our bloody names are on that thing. If we get busted for something like that, we'll be proper fucked. Nevermind the fact that we spent more time on that than any bit of schoolwork the last seven years."<em>

_Peter shook his head._  
><em>"I-I'm not playing," he managed through the tears in his eyes. "I think I must have dropped it when I bumped into Filch."<em>

_James sat down, putting his head between his knees as he suddenly felt quite faint._  
><em>"Oh, gods. My Da is coming tomorrow. If I can't walk at graduation tomorrow, it'll kill him. Oh, no, oh gods, oh shit."<em>

_Remus took a deep breath._  
><em>"Peter, are you sure?" he asked. When his friend nodded 'yes', Remus let out a great sigh.<em>  
><em>"Okay," he began, trying to remain calm though blood was pounding through his veins. If he got caught... There were enough imminent obstacles for him, post-Hogwarts. The last thing he needed was some punishment to prevent him from actually graduating. What if they held him back a year? His parents certainly could not afford another year's education at Hogwarts.<em>  
><em>"Okay," he tried again. "Think really hard, Peter," he said. "When you left the Kitchens, did you remember to wipe it?"<em>

_The silence was deafening. Peter screwed up his face as he tried to remember. Had he? Or was he using it to get back to Gryffindor Tower undetected?_  
><em>"Please," mumbled Sirius, his eyes transfixed on his friend.<em>

_"I… I think I did," said Peter, looking up as if the answer was somehow written on his forehead. He brightened. "No, I know I did. 'Cos I was thinking, since I'd gotten rid of all the nose-biters, I didn't have any evidence on me. I definitely wiped it while I was still in the Kitchens. I did, I swear!"_

_James let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding._  
><em>"Then it's alright," he said, slumping against his own trunk. "We're safe."<em>

_Remus was nodding, looking immensely relieved as well.  
>"Filch can't do magic; he won't be able to operate it!" he exclaimed. "Merlin, we're going to be fine. Unless-" he said, faltering, "-unless he gives it to someone who can work it, and rat us out."<em>

_Peter looked up sharply, appearing highly affronted._

_"No offense meant," Remus smiled at the group's long-standing joke. _

_"Moony is right!" Sirius said. "Unless you know the password to activate it, you can't. Oh, gods, this is perfect. Moony, you're a genius for having come up with that. And Prongs, I could kiss you for the whole 'I solemnly swear' bit."_

_James' lips twitched.  
>"Yeah, I guess we're okay," he said. "But... I mean, I thought the whole point was to pass it down. I dunno, to our kids or something."<em>

_"The right ones'll come across it, Prongs," Sirius said consolingly. "Anyway, if you and Lily end up with a kid, it'll probably favor her, anyway. So, there! No harm done."_

_James shifted._  
><em>"Are you sure you lads don't want to try and nick it back? I mean, honestly, it'll be hell trying to finish tonight's job without it."<em>

_Remus shook his head. "No, come on, Prongs. Tonight, we'll get by like we used to do."_

_"A return to our glory days!" Sirius crowed. "Before we had the luxury of knowing exactly where McGonagall is lurking. Before we could spot Snivellus from several floors away. Before we figured out each and every secret passageway in and out of this old heap of stones. But, as an added bonus, with diplomatic immunity from Deterntion because a) you're Head Boy and can overrule the ickle Prefects, and b) who the fuck cares, we're graduating tomorrow!"_

_The four grabbed their wands, donned shoes and gathered the necessary materials. Adrenalin began to pump through the group as they snuck out into the castle for their last foray into Hogwarts' mischeif-_

James was jolted out of his memory by the sound of a knock at the door of the sitting room. The door cracked open, and a couple feet above the ground, a house elf's head appeared. It was Cholly.

"Master James?" the elf squeaked. "Miss Lily and her friend is here."

Ignoring the triumphant smirk that Sirius was sending his direction, James leaped to his feet, grinning madly.  
>"Excellent!" he exclaimed and hurried towards the door. Cholly bowed, pushed the door open all the way, and scurried off to put the finishing touches on the dinner he had been preparing all afternoon.<p>

Sirius had not been far off the mark when he was inventing potential reasons for the girls' tardiness. Lily _had_ been delaying in front of the mirror for half an hour, unable to decide what to wear. After all, James had been in France, where the women were more than likely beautiful _and_ flirtatious. It was not until Marlene had pointed out that she could show up in a potato sack and James would still want to jump her that Lily had finally dressed herself so that the girls could apparate to Rhin Torlan.

The other three boys rose to their feet as Lily and Marlene stepped through the doorway, and James felt his heart skip a beat. He had forgotten, in the weeks since he'd last seen her, what a mesmerizing shade of green her eyes were. And though she was only wearing a simple, navy peasant blouse and jeans, he thought she looked absolutely stunning.

"Hello, James," she said, suddenly shy.

Without a word, James grinned and bounded forward, gathered her up into a hug. He swung her around in a circle, kissed her and then set her down on her feet. She laughed delightedly and reached up to kiss him again.  
>"I missed you," Lily whispered in his ear.<p>

Sirius covered his eyes as his friends embraced.  
>"C'mon, Prongs! Discretion! You'll put us off our dinners!"<p>

After several moments of the young lovers beaming at each other, Remus nudged his friend.  
>"Go on, Padfoot, it's safe," he murmured, and Sirius dropped his hands.<p>

Blushing but undeterred, Lily turned to Remus and held her arms open for a hug.  
>"Hello, Remus. Looks like you've managed a bit of a tan this summer!"<p>

Remus shook his head. "I think that's a bit generous, Lily," he grinned.

"How was your trip, McKinnon?" Sirius asked, having apparently recuperated from the discomfort of watching Lily and James embrace.

Marlene beamed. "Amazing! The water was divine. And yours?"

"Oh, we managed to entertain ourselves," Sirius smirked, eyebrow raised. Remus promptly stomped on his foot and Peter clapped his hand over his mouth to avoid bursting into giggles. Lily and Marlene exchanged a look.

"Let me guess," said Marlene, "this has something to do with solemnly swearing to be up to no good."

Remus nodded, nose wrinkled. "And _someone's_ getting caught on the beach by Muggle police with his pants about his ankles."

"But that, I'm afraid, is a story for another time," James said smoothly at the look of utter mortification on his best mate's face. The night in question was the most eventful of the foursome's trip, and had involved several bottles of mead, a group of local girls, a bonfire, and an incident of midnight skinny dipping.

The group dissolved into good-natured chatter. Summer holidays were rehashed- though, rather vaguely on Sirius' part- and within a quarter of an hour it was as if they had never been separated. However, all had not been sunny. Five of their schoolmates had gone missing over the holiday weeks. The suspicion was that their disappearance had something to do with the Dark Rising, though the _Daily Prophet_ had glossed over that possibility.

"Well, Lily and Marlene, would you like to come and meet my Da?" James asked, once a lull had fallen over the conversation. They agreed and Lily moved to put her hand in his. James led the group down the hall and into the sitting room, where his father was seated in a high-backed chair and reading.

"Pardon me, sir," James said.

Charlus glanced up from his reading, adjusting his glasses. "Mmm?"

"Lily and Marlene are here, sir. I introduced you at Graduation."

"Excellent," Charlus smiled. He reached for the cane leaning against his chair and hefted himself unsteadily to his feet. Cholly, who had been standing by for just such a purpose, hurried forward to assist his master, and then stepped back behind the chair. Charlus crossed the room toward the group, extending his hand to Lily and Marlene in turn. Once each of the girls obliged, he bent his head over their hands. "You are extremely welcome here, young ladies," he said, and the expression was so familiar to Lily that she had to work very hard to keep her mouth from falling open. James bore such a distinct resemblance to his father that it was startling. Though she had met him before, their conversation had been very brief. The hubbub of the ceremony and collecting James' things had quite worn out the elderly Mr Potter, and he did not stay long. Seeing him in such a familial context gave Lily the eerie feeling that she was seeing the far-off future. Was this how things would be someday, with James? The idea of the pair of them growing old together in such a place was quite romantic.

Realizing belatedly it was her turn to speak, Lily blinked. "Thank you so much for having us to dinner, Mr Potter."

"It's such a lovely home," Marlene added quickly.

"It is a pleasure to have you," Charlus nodded.

"If Master Potter is ready, Cholly can serve supper now, sir," piped the voice from behind the chair.

Charlus nodded.  
>"Yes, that would be perfect. Come, come, boys. Let us escort these fine ladies to the dining room."<br>Lily and Marlene glanced at each other, beaming. Such manners!

James winked at Lily, who tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow, a pretty flush staining her cheeks. Peter stepped forward and nervously offered his own arm to Marlene.  
>"Oh," she said, and accepted it, following James and Lily out of the sitting room.<p>

"Well, shall we?" asked Sirius, offering his arm to Remus.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Do I need to stomp on your toes _again_, Padfoot?"

"Well I'd have grabbed James, but Lily beat me to it!"

The lot of them made their way into the dining room, the men waiting until the ladies were seated to take their own chairs. The table was bedecked with several covered platters and a great tureen of soup. The smell was heavenly and the room warmed by a large crackling fire in the grate behind Charlus' head chair.

"If young masters and mistresses can serve themselves, I would be most grateful, sir," piped Cholly, "as my arms is not as long as reaching needs!"

"We can manage, Cholly, thank you," James smiled, and Cholly bowed himself from the room.

Over the next hour, the group ate comfortably. Cottage pie, crusty rolls, tomato soup and stewed apples were passed around and enjoyed by all. It appeared that the young people were making a conscious effort to keep conversation positive, though mentions of the recent _Daily Prophet _articles tracking the movements of the Dark Rising slipped through.

"It was only a few decades ago that we were in a similar situation," Charlus said over coffee and coconut cake. "The terror many lived in during the reign of Grindelwald is unparalleled. Of course, within some echelons of the Wizarding World, he was rather heartily supported. The difference," he said, glancing at the girls, "is in the execution. This Dark Wizard, this _Voldemort_, has been- ah, how shall I phrase it?- heavy handed. Grindelwald... He was almost gentle."

James found his palms growing sweaty. He and his parents had had many conversations concerning the subject of the reign of Grindelwald and pureblood politics; he wasn't exactly keen to get back into it now, particularly in their present company. His cup made a scraping sound as he replaced it on the saucer.  
>"Can we talk about something else, Da?" he ventured, but Charlus held up a hand.<p>

"Please," he said, then adjusted his glasses. "I was a younger man, then. Not young-" a smile flitted across his lips "-but younger. My wife and I were living out in Aberystwyth, and James hadn't been born yet. They were different times. We were at war- had _been_ at war for what felt like ages, and the Muggles were in it, too. They were horribly foolish to get involved in our conflicts. I don't think I can begin to properly explain the unrest people were living in. Great gashes torn across our battlefields by giants- the Muggles climbed down into these trenches, used them as makeshift shelters- and fought from them! It was often shocking what they would come up with to compensate for their lack of magical ability. Wizards and Muggles alike were dying by the thousands, and there were vast numbers of Muggle-baiters cashing in on the conflict."

At this point, Lily interjected to ask, "Hang on.. you're talking about the 1940s? That's when Grindelwald was powerful. So you're saying that World War Two was caused by wizards?"

A bitter expression twisted Charlus' weathered face. "There were two worlds at war, yes," he sighed, folding and unfolding his hands. "This Gellert Grindelwald came from Durmstrang, and brought to us the sense that Britain had been lacking. The Muggles were everywhere. They were suspicious of everyone, they were asking so many questions and beginning to pry into that which we hold so dearly. And they were causing such destruction that it became very clear something needed to be done. A false peace had been constructed before, but it had not lasted and we knew this would be just as fleeting. The solution was simple, the message like a gift from gods.

"Now," he said, looking around the hushed table. "I don't want you to get the wrong idea from the outset. I am a tolerant man."

James tried very hard not to sink down in his chair. He knew where this was going.

"Muggles are, by their base nature, deprived of magical ability. This is not their fault, but it is their lot. What Grindelwald proposed initially seemed to be the only sensible solution. By placing Muggles in a subservient position to magical folk, we would be restoring the right and natural order of things. We reasoned we would be giving our wives and children the security we all deserved."

At this point, the six young people wore expressions that varied between mortification and mere embarrassment. They all kept glancing around at each other, but Sirius was the first to speak up.  
>"Except that in Grindelwald's mind, the 'right and natural order' meant that Muggles would be nothing more than slaves, at best," he said with a derisive snort. "Voldemort's the same way. All this talk of the order of things and keeping the wizarding world safe from Muggle prejudices is a load of hogwash. It's just an excuse for him to seize control."<p>

"Do not misunderstand me, Sirius. Neither Marla nor myself were ever involved with the movement. It quickly went sour- or do they not teach you these things in school? History of Magic is not all goblin rebellions and giant uprisings. Grindelwald gained sympathy from many Pure families, and some of them swore allegiance to him until the end. My wife and I were sympathetic, but found ourselves embarrassed as Grindelwald's true colors began to emerge. Do any of you know what came next?"

It was Remus who spoke next: "The Reign of Terror."

"Exactly," said Charlus. "So named for its resemblance to the horrors of Robespierre in France after the Muggle revolution. Theirs was reactionary, ours a time of mercenary violence. Grindelwald's thugs were spread across all of Britain, and the Muggles had their own lot. People were taken from their beds and never seen again, dissenting families removed. Mass killings became commonplace, both magic and Muggle. It was utterly sickening. The things one would see, the headlines we read, the fear that came in place of the security we were promised!" His voice rang in the dining hall. "And once we realized what was going on, it was too late to stop it. We were romanced by the notion that we were a part of a greater cause, and that cause turned on us. That Dumbledore managed to defeat him is the stuff of deepest mystery to anyone who remembers those awful days."

With a nervous expression, Marlene reached out to take Lily's hand. Lily, who was sitting beside her, took it gratefully. While she knew cognitively that James' father had no negative feelings toward her, hearing these sentiments spoken at his table made her decidedly uncomfortable.

"As I said," breathed Charlus, removing his glasses and passing a hand over his eyes, "I was young and foolish. I believed in glory, in restoring what we had come very close to losing no matter the cost. I want only to caution you all, because I know you're off to some sort of dangerous meeting tonight. Radicals are perilous people. Be careful, and be conscious. That's what I must ask as a parent and as a man who very nearly threw his lot in with the wrong side. I hope I haven't frightened you. It would simply be the greatest tragedy of my life if I could keep you from doing something foolish and did not."

A long pause followed this pronouncement. The only sound was the crackling of the fire, and Charlus' gently rasping breath.

"I promise, Da," James said quietly, "that we'll all do our very best."

There was nothing else to say. As soon as they were able, the six young witches and wizards excused themselves from the table and headed outside for a walk about the garden. Conversation gradually recovered from the heavy speech Charlus had made, and before too long the young lads had the girls in giggles with a firsthand account of the Marauders' last prank at Hogwarts School. They lazed on benches in the lamplit garden for a time, but nine o'clock found them lounging in the front parlor. Sirius lay sideways on an armchair, his long legs dangling over the side. Marlene sat sandwiched between Peter and Remus on the sofa, while Lily perched on James' lap in the other armchair.

"Any idea what we'll talk about tonight?" asked Peter, rubbing his palms on his corduroys.

"I dunno. There isn't a chance we'll _do_ anything, do you think?" came from Sirius. "Cos if this meeting is anything like the awful meet-and-greets on the first day of classes, I'd rather have a sleep."

"Tonight?" James asked. "Not a prayer. This isn't Dueling Club, mate."

"Bollocks," grunted Sirius. "I've missed that club, I have."

"If you're so keen for a fight, we can have one when we get back," said James testily. His nerves were growing a bit frazzled as the meeting inched closer.

"So how're we getting there exactly?" asked Lily. "Can we just apparate, or what?"

James raised an eyebrow and asked, "You don't remember? He explained it all in his letter."

"He explained it in _your_ letter, you mean," she responded. "Dumbledore just told _me_ that you'd been given instructions on how to get to there."

"He must have known we'd all be going together. That man doesn't miss anything," Marlene said, shaking her head in amazement.

"So how are we getting there, Prongs?" Peter asked, impatient.

James looked rather sheepish as he explained, "Trouble is, I'm not exactly sure either. Dumbledore only told me to apparate to some village called Stoate-on-the-Moor. He said someone would be coming there to get us."

"Blimey!" Sirius exclaimed. "Seems kind of hokey to me. Sending someone to escort us to the meeting, like it's some sort of secret society."

"It _is_ a secret society," Remus reminded him dryly.

"Yeah, but still. Can't he just tell us where it is?"

Before their exchange could progress into an argument, Lily interrupted to ask, "Shouldn't we be leaving? I thought the meeting started at nine fifteen."

Glancing at his watch, James' eyes widened. It was already ten past the hour. He nudged gently at Lily's hip, and she hopped dutifully off his lap so that he could stand. "Let's go then," he said, drawing his wand from his pocket. The others did likewise and moved into a loose circle in the middle of the room.

"So, should we all hold hands while we go?" Sirius asked, only half joking. Even he could not manage to be entirely flippant about the occasion.

"You just want to hold my hand, Padfoot," James teased but reached for Sirius' hand nonetheless. Beside him, Lily reached for Remus, who grabbed for Marlene's and on down the circle until the only broken link in the circle was James, who was still gripping his wand in his right hand. "I'll do the honors, then," he said, raising his wand. Moments later, all six felt the familiar navel-jerking sensation that accompanied apparition, and they soon found themselves standing on the outskirts of a quaint little town in the heart of the Cotswolds.

While they were looking around, trying to get their bearings, a familiar voice behind them said, "Yer actually on time fer once, Potter. I've got ter say I'm surprised."

All six teenagers whirled around to find the Hogwarts Gamekeeper standing a few meters behind them, grinning broadly and holding a rusted, muddy rake in his left hand.


	2. Secrets, Sneaks, and Schedules

A/N: We apologize for the delay, and thank you profusely for your continued readership.

-  
>-<p>

"Hagrid!" James grinned, relieved to see a familiar face. "Good to see you, mate. How's your holidays been?"

"Fine, fine," beamed Hagrid as he looked around the group. "Good ter see you lot have all made it. Dumbledore'll be pleased, ter be sure." He gestured to the rake in his hand. "I've just arrived from headquarters, myself, see? Helpin' get all the things ready for tonight's meeting. Though-" he added, his gaze settling on Lily with an expression of concern, "I hope you're all ready for a bit of bad news. I shouldn't say anything here, though. I've got to bring you lot straight back so we can start the meetin'."

"Right," said Lily determinedly, peering around. "And where exactly _is_ headquarters?"

"Well, we're in transition, or summat," Hagrid said, turning and looking down the hill toward the bright twinkling town nearby, "so we haven't got a permanent place. Mostly hopping from one abandoned flat ter another, really. So," he turned to Sirius, "been keepin' outta trouble? I heard you're lookin' fer work in London. Bartending, righ'?"

Sirius nodded. "Something to keep me busy when James and I aren't at the Academy," he smiled, "as I haven't got a girlfriend to suck up all my time."

Remus chuffed. "Plus, you'd rather get paid than pay for getting sloshed every night," he reminded Sirius.

"Exactly!" grinned his friend.

"Well, I've heard of a place down in Fleet called the Lion's Den," said Hagrid. "It serves Muggles, see, so I've never been. But Tom down at the Leaky Cauldron was tellin' me they've come close a time or two ter stealing his customers. Not me, o' course, but other blokes who're regulars. Yeh might give it a look, see if they're willin' ter train yeh, if y'don't mind th'work."

"Cool," said Sirius. "Thanks, Hagrid."

Peter had been fidgeting with his hands.  
>"D'you mind leading us on to the meeting?" he asked, glancing at his watch. "Only I don't want to be late."<p>

"Good idea," smiled Lily warmly. "Hagrid, where exactly are we going?"

"Well, I mentioned we've been setting up shop in empty flats," Hagrid said, "but we didn't find one this time around. There's a campsite a bit ahead we're all joined at, and if yeh'd just follow me, we should be there soon enough."

The group plodded off down the hill, away from the cheerfully twinkling light of the small town. James found Lily's hand in the darkness and gave it a squeeze. She looked up at him, smiling back. As the warm summer air ruffled his hair, James thought to himself that his nerves in approaching the Order of the Phoenix were just as they had been before a Quidditch match. He felt electric, but stable; jazzed, but prepared. With his free hand, he felt in his pocket for his wand, the warmth of the thin bit of wood reassuring. Behind him, Sirius walked with his hands in his pockets, whistling a song he'd heard on the radio earlier that day. Other than that, the only sounds were that of their shoes on the sturdy summer grass.

The group headed into the woods, now moving more slowly on a beaten dirt path.  
>"Best not to use magic," Hagrid advised. "There migh' be Muggles in the woods on holiday or summat."<p>

With this pronouncement, the group was left to their thoughts. They walked along, occasionally tripping over a tree root in the darkness, taking no less than three wrongs in five minutes. Eventually, they found their way to a dried-out riverbed.

"It's righ' ahead," said Hagrid, a tone of relief coloring his voice. Turning to Marlene, he added in a conspiratorial whisper that everyone heard: "I got lost in here earlier t'day. Dumbledore had ter send the Prewett brothers after me. Even then, it took 'em about forty-five minutes before they could track me down."

"Ooh, Hagrid," Marlene replied, shaking her head. "You've got to be a bit more careful."

"Righ'" he replied with a nod. "Anyway, here we are."

They had arrived at a small clearing in the woods. No matter how much James squinted, however, he could make out nothing except the dark, shadowy tree trunks. Blackened logs in the middle of the clearing indicated some long-ago fire, but it was obvious to all in attendance that there had not been anyone here for a long, long time.

"Er, Hagrid?" asked Remus, peering around. "Are you sure?"

"What's tha'?" asked Hagrid, turning to him. "Can't yer see it?"

"See _what_, exactly?" asked Peter. "Come off it, Hagrid. There's no one there. Joke's over, but we're here on purpose, you know. We want to join the Order!"

Hagrid was suddenly looking awkward.  
>"I know I've got it here somewhere," he said, flailing his gigantic arm. "I forgot, you won't know." Muttering something about the charms and protection, he reached out and pressed his massive palm flat against what seemed to be open air. A moment later, lights shimmered into view. Then, figures clutstered around campfire and torchlight began to materialize. James recognized Albus Dumbledore at once. The man's long white hair and beard distinguished him from his far younger companions. However, despite the gathering's growing visibility, it was as if the volume of conversation had been muted, and all action was transpiring in slow motion. With a watery beckon, the now clearly visible Dumbledore waved them forward.<p>

The group that had arrived with Hagrid stepped over the magical threshold. It was like passing through a membrane; at first, they were met with mild resistance, but it broke and sealed behind them. Sirius whipped around to see some evidence of where they had entered, but all that was behind him was the same dark woods they'd tramped through.

"Welcome, welcome!" came Dumbledore's voice.

Despite the cheery tone and warm words, the thing that first occurred to James was that this was not a group that seemed to be faring well. Around one fire composed of bright blue flames sat a witch and wizard each with large plasters covering their backs. A witch with a concerned expression waved her wand over each of them, her expression growing tighter as the injuries did not improve. A pair of scuffed, square wooden tables laden with delicate-looking instruments stood near a large cauldron, bubbling with some thick concoction over the second campfire. Clustered around it were a group of grim-faced men, poring over an old map. They looked up as the group entered the charm barrier, but their expressions did not change.

"I am pleased to see you've all arrived in good time," Albus Dumbledore said graciously, inclining his head toward the newcomers. "Please, come and have a seat."

A quick look around told them they were not the only Hogwarts graduates present at the meeting. A handful of Ravenclaws stood clustered around a table on which was laid out a stack of _Daily Prophet_s, and James thought he recognized a Hufflepuff boy standing behind the group of haggard men. There were not, he noted, many Slytherins to be found. However, all the students obediently approached Dumbledore at his invitation and sat on the cool, dry dirt before their ex-Headmaster.

"Though we would have loved to have a better reception for you," said Dumbledore, his expression looking tired and careworn, "it appears that dust and bad tidings is all we may offer."

A hush fell across the group, including the adults. Somewhere, a tinny sort of whistling could be heard. One of the men who had been absorbed with the map turned his attention to the cluttered tabletop nearby, studying one of the objects with a deep frown.

Dumbledore gave him the tiniest of glances, and then returned his attention to the students before him. "Tonight, it is my sad duty to inform you that one of your very own classmates and her family were killed. Beatrice Matlock, of Hufflepuff House, was found with her family in Dorset, and with the Dark Mark above what was left of their house."

The Hufflepuff boy was looking grim.

"Miss Matlock would be beginning her third year at Hogwarts in September. I would be surprised if any of you were familiar with her, but surely the loss of one of your classmates is a small devastation of its own."

Lily reached out for James' hand, gripping it tightly.  
>"I tutored her," she whispered faintly. "The little blonde girl with curly hair. You remember?"<p>

James did not remember, but that did not matter.

"It would be crude to say that this event has coincided with tonight's meeting," said Dumbledore heavily. "As Headmaster, I feel with great sadness the loss of any of my dear students. But perhaps this- this _atrocity_ will impress upon you the necessity for such an organization as we have assembled."

Most of the gathered adults laid down their things, moving toward the group and taking their own seats around the brightly colored campfire. Dumbledore waited patiently, his mouth set in a thin line.

"This organization exists as a concentrated effort of dedicated individuals to gather information on the Dark Rising so that it may be stopped before Hogwarts loses more students, before parents lose more of their children, and before we lose any more of our friends. The Dark Wizard, who identifies himself as Lord Voldemort, does not care about anything except for the suppression of the Muggle race and the 'cleansing' of witches and wizards everywhere. Thus far, all who have attempted to stand in the way of Lord Voldemort have met painful and gruesome ends.

"It is not my goal to try and shock you into joining up with a group whose cause you do not fully believe in. That young Miss Matlock was murdered earlier this day is a testament to how very near this War is to each and every one of us. The Dark Rising has been steadily gaining in power these last ten years, and I fear that it will reach a critical point very soon. Our envoys to the giants have failed, and our attempts at holding off forces of Inferi have been extremely unsuccessful. The numbers you see here gathered are substantially less than those we had at the outset. Our prognosis, if I may borrow the word, is exceedingly grim."

This was not at all what James nor Sirius had expected to hear. The mental images of themselves with Auror badges and macho scars were rapidly evaporating.

"I had hoped," Dumbledore said wearily, "to be able to provide for you tonight some sort of comprehensive plan about what we will be doing to fight Lord Voldemort's efforts. The truth of the matter is that we cannot predict in any form or fashion what he is going to do. We can guess, and we can put forth our best efforts, but that really is everything. What comes next is up to each of us to determine. The future of magical-muggle relations, as well as the wizarding world as we know it, is in gravest danger."

He looked at them all a long moment, his gaze resting on the determined expressions on his former students' faces.

"I do want to remind you that despite whatever it is you are feeling at this moment, you must give it a bit of time before you can completely decide whether or not to join with us. You have families to consider, and careers, and your own personal futures. However, I will not deny that our Order could use every scrap of help we can find. Our situation is necessary, but very grave indeed."

He let that rest a moment, and then glanced to his right.

"I suppose I'll turn things over to you, Caradoc, shall I?"

A gruff-looking younger man with a good deal of stubble on his face stood up.  
>"Thank ye kindly, Dummeldore," he said, facing the group. "I'm afraid we can't tell y'lot any more than ye already know unless you're willing to commit. An' since it wuddint be fair t'force you t'join straight away, not when ye've just had news about yer classmate, we'll jus' be takin' questions."<p>

"I've got one," Sirius said boldly. "When do we start doing real work?"

"Black, innit?" Caradoc squinted at Sirius. "That'll depend on if ye choose ter join us." He directed his attention to the whole of the group: "There's no shame if'n ye don't want a part of this, y'know. We're fighting because we b'lieve in it. If'n that's not your case, it's all the same. Yer here because yer interested enough, and that says something. I can sure as hell tell yer that it means th'world knowing that there's persons that care enough to hear what Dummeldore has ter say. But this fight is a big'n. It's serious shite out there. And even if it's not from melee, we've all got the scars t'prove we're in it for the fight. If it's the case where ye decide thissus something ye can hack, we'll talk about duties then."

"Excuse me," said James, with a glance at Sirius. "Not to speak for everyone, or anything, but I've had enough time thinking about joining up for the past seven years. There's nothing more that needs to be said, as far as I'm concerned."

Lily nodded eagerly.  
>"The more we sit around jawing about how we need to think it over, the stronger He becomes."<p>

"I don' wan' ter burst yer bubble, miss," said Caradoc grimly, "but we've jus' returned from a firefigh' with two Death Eaters down near Slough. Kept it quick an' quiet, but I don' fancy any of us are dyin' ter go lookin' fer trouble jus' now."

Lily flushed. James shifted in place.

"Listen," James said after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "I know you think we're just being impulsive, but Dumbledore invited the lot of us-" he indicated the group of students "-because he knows the way we feel about the Dark Rising, and he knows that we're wanting to do something about it. There's no sense walking on eggshells about it, because we're well in at this point. Most of us have got friends or family or _are_ the ones that Voldemort is after. We know the stakes. We're young, but we aren't naive. This is grave business, and we want in."

"Hear, hear," affirmed Marlene. Remus was nodding, and most of the group looked equally determined.

Caradoc's expression hardened.  
>"Well, then, I invite those of you who feel this way ter step over with Dummeldore so's he can fin' a way ter contact yer in three days' time. There's no pressure, see. If y'decide at the last minute that yer not a hundred percent set on joinin' us up, it's all right. No harm done. But ye've got ter know that this inn't the Dueling Club. This is fer real, and nobody plays nice and clean."<p>

James glanced at Sirius, who had a faraway expression in his eyes. Remus, too, was looking lost in thought. When he glanced over his left shoulder at Peter, he was briefly startled to see Peter staring right back at him. He turned back toward Lily and gave her hand a squeeze.

"So, what do we do tonight?" James asked. "We've not been given any more to work with than what we had in Professor Dumbledore's office a few months ago. How can we make an informed, calm decison based on nothing?"

"What is it, exactly, that yer hoping ter hear?"

James sighed and got to his feet.  
>"I don't know. Instructions, I suppose. I've thought about it. I've thought about little else for the past year. And I've made up my mind. Not to put pressure on anyone else here, but I've seen enough to know that this fight is mine as well. If you say you're looking for hands and able-bodied, of-age wizards, I'm here, and I'm willing. Sign me up, and put me to work."<p>

Sirius clambered to his feet, Remus shortly behind him.  
>"I'm in," Sirius said solemnly.<p>

"There's never been a more worthy cause," Remus agreed.

Caradoc watched as the ex-students rose to their feet and approached him. Two of the Ravenclaw students excused themselves from the group and headed toward Hagrid, presumably looking for instructions on how to return home. But the rest of them stood evenly, shoulders squared and expectant.

"This is why we fight," whispered a witch with long, curly brown hair to the wizard beside her.

After a moment of silence, Dumbledore said:  
>"Well, it looks as if the rest of you- once Hagrid has removed Mr Murphy and Miss Brawn from our modest meeting place- should take Caradoc's words to heart. We shall be contacting you in three days' time-"<p>

"Listen," James interrupted. "You called us here, Professor. You invited us, and now you're looking for ways to talk us out of it? We've just made our intentions known, and we _have _considered that we might die for the cause of the Order. We've been over it, mulled it, thought it through back to front and now we're here. Would you _please_ stop trying to show us the door?"

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose toward his silvery hairline.

There was a long measure in which James' eyes narrowed and he exchanged a glance with Lily. All eyes appeared to be on the group of recently graduated Hogwarts students, but there was no clear reason as to why. What on earth was Dumbledore playing at, stringing them along with nothing more than a handful of vague phrases and the promise that more information was on its way? This wasn't the way their Hogwarts Headmaster typically behaved. As the silence thickened, another student with broad shoulders and a craggy face walked swiftly from the group, headed after Hagrid into the darkened forest.  
>Rather suddenly, the sound in the membranous meeting place seemed amplified. Dumbledore visibly relaxed, and he did his best to smile at the group.<br>"There," he said, somewhat more brightly than before. "I was wondering who had been setting off the Sneakoscope. Cooper, I'm sure the group would love it if you'd rejoin us."

The wizard who had been keeping a close watch on the group from the table bearing a handful of Dark Detectors stalked over, throwing a long and distorted shadow on the cool, packed dirt. The group watched as he stalked over and stood in silence that lasted until Caradoc broke it.

"Alrigh', then," he said, studying the group, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Firs' ye're going to report ter Celia, here—" he indicated a witch to his left "—and let her know what yer highest NEWTs were in. Any special skills ye've got, anything that might be helpful outright. Then we'll do a bit of basic aptitude and wandwork, and start assigning Watches. I know ye've probably got some sort of graduate level work lined up, whether it's a higher institution or a clerk position, that ye've got ter balance. This, strange though it may seem, is important. Ye've got ter keep up the looks of a normal life, so's not to attract any attention from th'Other side. Migh' be best to consider yer job just as important as any assignmen' given ter ye by th'Order."

A slight shiver ghosted across James' shoulders. He knew what he was getting into. He and Sirius, Remus and Peter had stayed up late into the night many times at the end of the school year, talking in hushed voices about what would happen. Several times, the foursome had stayed up the entire night with worries and wonders about what would happen once they joined the effort to combat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. What would it be like, fighting him? Would they see him face-to-face? The prospect was chilling. All throughout their schooling, there had been mumbled rumors of Lord Voldemort gaining power. No one knew where it was he came from, but all knew the dangers of standing in his way. To fight such a powerful, Dark wizard would be a great testament to one's courage and ability, they determined. But, like Caradoc had shot at them, this would not be like the Dueling Club. Until James started his studies in earnest at the Academy, he wouldn't know what fighting people so wholly sold out to the Dark Rising would be like. But, as ever, he and his mates were determined to find out, to see this movement with the Order of the Phoenix to its end.

The next fifteen minutes saw the group of new initiates reporting to the various stations, speaking with some of the more senior gathered members of the Order, and demonstrating what skills they already possessed. Things were going fairly smoothly, as the newcomers were all eager to show the senior members that they each had talents to bring to the table.

"There are a good deal more of our number not in attendance this evening," explained Dumbledore to a curious Peter after a dueling demonstration with Remus that left his heels clicking together uncontrollably. "Half a dozen are in this particular area, performing perimeter watches. Another six are on a well-deserved night off. I think our current number, not including new recruits, is hovering at an even fifty."

_Fifty members_, James mused. Only fifty? It seemed like the number should be much, much higher. Surely there were dozens -scores even!- of witches and wizards willing to stand up to the encroaching terror of the Dark Lord. He frowned, looking across the circle at Lily, who had her wand out near the witch and wizard with all the wounds on their backs. She was wrapped up in conversation with the witch who was trying to heal the pair of them, a furrow of concern etched between her smooth gingery brows. The group moved away to another station that involved a demonstration of some fairly easy poison antidotes, but James hung back.

"How do you go about finding new recruits?" he asked Dumbledore, his gaze still fixed on Lily.

"I'm afraid it isn't as easy as forming a Quidditch team," said Dumbledore with a smile as he registered who James was looking at.

James chuckled, despite himself. "Yeah, I suppose you can't very well post up a notice," he remarked, crossing his arms and shifting his weight to one foot.

"You see, James," Dumbledore said carefully, "It is harder for people who are attached to join in dangerous things. Or, at least, for them to dependably commit. As we have repeated _ad nauseum_, this is an extremely hazardous environment for you to plunge headlong into." James was shaking his head, but Dumbledore continued on: "To be perfectly honest, it perhaps was not entirely wise of me to have approached you before you ended school. I must admit that our resources are slim, and that our need for willing bodies and talented wands may have clouded my judgement. But if you are truly willing to risk your young life, I shall certainly not stand in your way."

James nodded, at last tearing his eyes away from the glow of Lily's hair in the firelight.  
>"I'm making the right choice, Dumbledore," he said. The moment the words had passed his lips, he knew it to be true. Joining the Order was as easy a decision as breathing, as waking up in the morning. This was something he simply had to do, and that was that. The greatest perk was that he wasn't doing it alone. To see his best mates and his girl join up with the same enthusiasm as he was an encouraging aspect. He'd certainly be able to keep a lookout for them while they worked to subvert the Dark Rising, and nothing mattered more than taking care of those close to him. His da would be at Rhin Torlan, he'd be seeing Sirius each day at the Academy, Lily would be around a good bit, and Remus and Peter would be at meetings and at his flat. If everyone was close, it would be a simple task to keep them out of harm's way.<p>

"Well," said Dumbledore, clearing his throat, "I think it's nearly time for us to send you all home. We've got a special detail on surveillance at the Ministry to launch this week, and though I know you each are eager to lend a hand, none of you are as yet employed there. Caradoc should be nearly finished drawing up guard watch shifts. I'll be contacting you before the next meeting. Look for an owl before the end of the week, won't you? And James-" he added, a peculiar expression crossing his face, "your enthusiasm is appreciated. We would be nothing if not for willing hearts."

Not a quarter hour later, the group ambled out to the edge of the woods, guided by Hagrid, who eventually turned around and nodded in their general direction. "This is where I'll leave you," he informed them. "Yer safe t'apparate back home now. See you lot next week."

"Bye, Hagrid," Lily called out as she and the boys formed a circle again. They glanced around at each other and then apparated, one by one, back to the front lawn of Rhin Torlan. Although they had set out with light laughter and high hopes, they returned to the house in relative silence. The evening's events had been sobering, for Lily in particular. She'd always known, intellectually, that direct participation in the war effort came with great risk to their personal safety, but it hadn't really hit home until she saw the curse scars on the backs of the witch and wizard she had just met.

Her first thought had been of James coming back from a mission, covered in the same bloody welts as the other wizard now bore. Or, worse, of him not coming back at all. Although she had greatly admired his nobility and enthusiasm in speaking so determinedly about joining the Order tonight (after all, those were some of the traits that she found most attractive in him), a part of Lily had shivered in fear that those same traits might be the death of him some day. James was a very courageous young man, but he also seemed to labor under the impression that he was invincible, as did most lads his age.

At the thought, she really did shiver slightly, and she gripped James' hand all the tighter as she determinedly pushed these morbid thoughts from her mind. They were here together now, and that was what mattered, especially after the weeks spent apart during their travels. In fact, Lily had every intention of staying awake for hours more to fit in as much time with her boyfriend as she could before the morning came and they departed for their own separate houses. However, once they actually made it back to the house, she found that she could barely keep her eyes open.

The group made their way quietly inside. Cholly, helpful as ever, was waiting in the kitchen, dozing over the breakfast table when they arrived. He sat upright immediately, blinking his large eyes and beaming proudly at the group.  
>"I has prepared some hot chocolate as a goodnighting present," he said in a loud whisper. "Master Potter is long since in his bed but Cholly has waited up for Young Masters and their friends to return." He slid off the kitchen chair and hurried over to the stove, removing a poker from a stand and bringing the fire to a brighter burn.<p>

"Tha-a-ans', Cholly," yawned Remus, the firelight flickering over some of the faint scarring on his face. "You always know what we need before we can ask."

Cholly blushed at the compliment, shaking his head bashfully.  
>"Young Master Lupin is too kind to Cholly, sir. It is a mark of a good house elf to know what wizards want done. Cholly is embarrassed, sir, that he is falling asleep before you is home."<p>

Each assured the house elf that they bore no ill will toward him for dozing off, as the hour was nearing two o'clock. The silence that had followed the group back from their first official meeting with the Order of the Phoenix settled heavily over them once more, as Cholly excused himself to go to his bed. It wasn't until Peter fell asleep right at the table, thunking his forehead on the wooden surface that Remus wisely suggested that they all go to bed. After rinsing out their mugs, James led the group up the thickly carpeted wooden staircase. He showed Lily and Marlene to a guest room, pausing only to wrap Lily in a tight and lengthy hug before kissing her goodnight.

Once the door clicked shut, the boys padded down the familiar hallway to James' room. Though Sirius hadn't lived here in over a year, he was struck by how much Rhin Torlan felt like home. The flat he'd gotten after his uncle had died was wonderful, and he and James planned to spend a great deal of time "breaking it in," but nothing seemed to compare to the familiar sight of James' large bedroom: the slate-grey walls, the white ceiling and dark wooden floor, the slightly worn rug, the Gryffindor banner draping over the bed, and the handful of posters decorating the walls. The four of them stripped off their jackets and kicked off their shoes. They stripped the pillows off the bed, rummaged in the closet for the store of extra blankets that had been more or less a staple since their first trip, and dumped them into pallets on the floor.

Within a few moments, Peter's light snore filled the room.

"Night, lads," said Remus as he burrowed into his blankets. "This was a good night." He yawned. "S'given me lots to think over."

James nodded, sliding his hands behind his head as he lay on his back. Thin light from the night sky filtered through the otherwise dark room, occasionally interrupted by a cloud passing over the moon. Soon, Remus' even breathing joined Peter's and the house itself seemed to settle into sleep.

"Prongs?" came Sirius' hoarse voice. James started and glanced over at his best mate, who lay on his stomach, looking intently at him.

"Wotsit, Padfoot?" whispered James.

"Fancy a snack?" the other lad asked. It was their long-standing code for times when one of the duo wanted to talk about something he didn't really want to discuss with Remus and Peter too. Although the foursome were all best friends, James and Sirius were really more like brothers, and not even being out of school or James' increasingly serious relationship with Lily was going to change that.

Very carefully, James raised his head and glanced over at Remus, then Peter. Both of them were still fast asleep. "Sure," he muttered, rising carefully to his feet and tiptoeing out of the room.

They made their way back down to the kitchen. Sirius led the way, sitting down at the table still cluttered with now-cold cocoa mugs. He ran a hand through his hair, looking sideways at James.

"Wossamatter?" James asked with a yawn. He sank into one of the ornately carved wooden chairs, leaning forward on his elbows toward his distressed best friend.

"Don't you think that was a little... odd?" asked Sirius slowly. "I mean, they tried to talk us out of it at every step. Little weird, wasn' it?"

"I reckon," James shrugged. "But it's done, now. I think they were just a bit rattled by what happened. Don't read into it, mate. We've even got assignments, now!"

Sirius nodded, but didn't smile. "We're doing kid stuff. Watches? Guard posts? We could have done that as fourth-years."  
>"Some of them looked to be about forty-five or so. To them, we might as well <em>be<em> fourth-years."

"Yeah, but we aren't. You and me got into the Academy. That Celia bint didn't even blink when I told her. Gave us the same assignment as everyone else, didn't she?"

"Well, what do you want me to say, Padfoot?" James asked, tiredness mingling with his own exasperation at being given what Sirius had described as 'kid stuff'. "At least we're in. We'll be seeing action on two fronts, now. Order and Academy. It won't be long until we're given better work, just wait. Wait, and work toward it."

Sirius sighed.  
>"I think I just expected a bit more, I don't know, pageantry. For them to be actually grateful, or something, that we were joining up. D'you know what I mean? They all just stared at us, the whole time. Scowling, almost."<p>

James passed a hand over the back of his neck, scratching at the short, bristly hairs that grew there. Though he and Sirius would consider themselves the best of friends, it was not uncommon that they would be faced with some sort of obstacle neither of them knew how to deal with. In this case, the obstacle was none other than Sirius himself, as far as James was concerned. They had managed to secure positions in the Order of the Phoenix. From his point of view, that was miracle enough. Despite their ages and the fact that they were not perhaps adequately trained, they had been welcomed into the fold. He was certain that it would be only a matter of time before he and Sirius were going on bona fide missions together. Anyone could see they made an excellent team, after all. Sirius was simply bored, he concluded. It had happened before. When Sirius got bored, he got antsy, and then he got destructive. But they were due to start with a new training class at the Auror Academy within the week- surely things would improve then.


	3. Good Help is Hard to Find

A shrill screeching noise slowly made its way through Lily's consciousness. It took several long moments, but she eventually realized its source: her alarm clock. Yawning, she rolled over in her bed and batted at it until it shut off. With a grateful sigh, she leaned back against her pillow and stretched lazily, a smile spreading across her lips as she allowed herself a few moments to remember the excellent evening she had enjoyed.

She and James had both been in a celebratory mood, each one excited to begin the next chapter of their education and careers. After a cozy dinner and a couple rounds of drinks in a little pub they'd just discovered, they had returned to the flat Lily now shared with Marlene to cuddle on the couch, discuss their future dreams and, of course, engage in a none-too-small amount of snogging.

The hour had been quite late when James had mentioned the time and Lily had gasped in horror and hurried him out the door. But despite how little sleep she had managed to get, she was feeling quite pleased with the state of the world this morning. Rather, she was until she rolled back over to actually look at her clock and noticed the time.

She had exactly twenty-one minutes to get to St. Mungo's for her first class.

Swearing under her breath, she leaped out of bed and began rummaging around in her closet for the set of trainee healer robes she'd purchased last week. There was no time for a shower; she'd have to throw her hair into a ponytail. There wasn't time for a real breakfast either, but Lily did grab an apple on her way through the kitchen.

Thanking every star in the sky that Marlene had already connected their fireplace to the Floo Network, she rushed into it, threw a handful of powder, and vanished with a whoosh of green flame with a few minutes to spare.

But even the few minutes she had left didn't help much, as Lily found herself hopelessly lost on her way down to the classrooms. The Welcome Witch at the front desk had told her the entire class of trainees was meeting down in the basement auditorium for some sort of introductory lecture. She'd given Lily directions, but the hospital building (like every other magical building she'd been in) seemed to have been built by an architect with no sense of organization or direction. The staircases at the north end of the hallway only led up to odd-numbered floors. Some of the corridors twisted around in one loop, and some of them proceeded straight on as corridors are meant to do.

By the time she finally made it down to the main lecture hall, Lily was decidedly tardy. She paused just outside the doors, swallowed and cracked one open, hoping to simply sneak into one of the seats in the back. For once, her luck held, and she slipped silently into the end seat in the back row next to a brown-haired fellow who glanced once at her, rolled his eyes, and turned his attention back to the front of the room.

Though she was surprised by his cold greeting, Lily was so thankful to have finally made it to her first class that she thought nothing of it until that later that afternoon. As it turned out, the young man she had sat next to was named Quirinius Randolph, but in Lily's opinion, he ought to have been called Sir Pompous the Stick-Up-His-Arse. All morning, scarcely half an hour had gone by without him raising his hand and blurting out an answer before the professor could even call on him or simply interjecting his own thoughts into the lecture without being asked for them.

Worst of all, Lily had been paired with him for the first round of practicals, which they would be completing every afternoon after their lectures ended. Even though this morning's practical was really more of a tour and general overview of the various hospital wings and common wizarding ailments treated there, Quirinius could not seem to keep himself from spouting off opinions about what treatments ought to be tried.

The most infuriating thing was that he was _right_ more often than not. Pompous and obnoxious he might be, but he had obviously done his homework. Of course, that didn't make it any easier for Lily to be polite when he corrected her wand movement on the bandage conjuring charm they had learned that morning.

"The upward swish isn't meant to be _straight_ up, you see," he was explaining in a tone he clearly thought was polite and helpful. "It's more at a 45 degree angle." And then Quirinius proceeded to demonstrate with an ease and flourish that only made Lily want to storm out of the room. She was tired enough already without having to deal with this prat on top of everything else. Had she ever thought James was obnoxiously prattish at Hogwarts? Well, he had nothing on this bloke.

"Got it," she responded as calmly as she could manage, then pointed her wand toward the open supply cabinet they were standing in front of, and (to her immense relief) replicated the wand movement perfectly.

"I say! You're a quick study, aren't you?" her companion commented. Lily merely shrugged, as she was too tired to think of a polite response, and he took advantage of her silence to continue nattering on aboutthe importance of good wand technique or something equally boring. She couldn't be sure what he was saying, as she was quite busy learning how to tune him out.

By the time five o'clock rolled around, Lily wanted nothing more than to collapse in the comfort of her own bed. Unfortunately, she still had errands to run. Unless she wanted to begin her school year by getting behind on homework, she needed to make a stop in Diagon Alley for some supplies and textbooks. _At least I'll be able to shop in peace_, she thought to herself as she bid a hasty goodbye to Quirinius and headed for the nearest elevator.

However, her shopping trip turned out to be far less peaceful than she had hoped. Half an hour later, she found herself stalking up and down the aisles of a used bookshop in the corner of the Alley, searching for the half dozen books on her list. The prices at Flourish and Blotts had been discouraging, and to her dismay, as she did a mental tally of the supplies she had already purchased, Lily was realizing that she had grossly underestimated the cost of her schooling.

It was beginning to be a bit overwhelming. Groceries were more expensive in London than they had been in Nottingham. Rent was insanely high - but at least she had Marlene to share costs with. And, fortunately for her lack-of-fortune, James was old-fashioned enough that he would never tolerate the idea of her going double-dutch with him on dates, so at least she could get out of the house sometimes.

But none of that could help her with the massive amounts of money all of her school supplies ended up costing. She hadn't realized there would be so many rare potions supplies to purchase. The cost of her textbooks alone was bad enough, but once she'd done a mental tally of everything she'd spent on books and the assorted ingredients required for her potions stores, Lily wished for nothing more than the luxury of collapsing on the pavement and weeping.

She managed to hold in the tears until she reached the front door of the tiny flat the girls shared. To her immense relief, Marlene was currently out somewhere, which meant that Lily was free to sprawl lengthwise on the sofa, fling her arm over her eyes and dissolve into tears. She honestly had no idea how she was going to feed and clothe herself this year, and just trying to figure out where the money would come from was giving her a massive headache. It was much simpler to temporarily fall to bits and indulge in a good cry.

It was at that moment that a knock came at the door. Outside, James stood on the stoop, his hands in his pockets. It had been quite a day for the young man, and he was eager to share the details of the Auror Academy with his favorite redhead.

As the sound of knocking reach her ears, Lily froze and gave an extremely unladylike snuffle. Swallowing down the lump in her throat, she called out faintly, "Coming!" as she pushed herself up off the sofa and trudged over to the door. She pulled it open, swiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her trainee robes, and immediately dropped her hand once she realized who was standing on her doorstep.

"James?" she exclaimed, her brows narrowing in confusion. Had they planned a date tonight that she'd completely forgotten about? Merlin, she couldn't be _that_ tired. "Come in," she urged after an awkward beat of silence, stepping aside so that he could cross the threshold after her. Turning her back on him to shut the door, she dabbed at her eyes once more with the sleeve of her robes, hoping that they (and her nose) weren't red enough for him to notice anything.

James followed her into the apartment, a large grin plastered from ear to ear. Apparently missing the telltale signs of emotion streaking down Lily's cheeks, he headed for the sofa and flopped down on it.  
>"Hiya, sweet thing," he said jovially, aglow with the success of his first day as an Auror-in-Training, "just thought I'd pop by and hear how your day was. You weren't busy, or anything, were you?"<p>

The question had just passed his lips when he got a proper look at Lily. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks flushed, and her eye makeup looked rather blurry.

"Er," he said, sitting up and adopting a more appropriately dour expression, "is this a bad time?"  
>Lily hesitated a moment, shifting uncomfortably in her seat beside him. They had always had a policy of perfect honesty in their relationship, but this was something she wasn't sure she wanted to share with him, because she wasn't certain he would be able to understand. James, after all, had grown up living in the proverbial lap of luxury. She was certain he was perfectly able to afford life in London, even if he was currently squatting at Sirius' flat.<p>

"I er..., it's fine. I'm just... tired," she replied lamely, ducking her head and trying to avoid meeting his eyes.

"Just tired?" James asked, concern stretching his mouth into a frown. "Was it not a good first day, then?"

"It was all right, I guess," she responded, keeping her eyes fixed on her folded hands. "One bloke in my class is a total smarmy git, but everyone else seems nice enough."  
>James nodded, his anxiousness abating.<p>

"Oh, I know the sort!" he said, relaxing into the sofa. "We've one of those in our class. Georgiana Smythe, or something like that. Today was basic skills, nothing fancy in the slightest, but she had to go and have her hand up at every turn! Not so good with a wand, though. We had some one-on-one dueling at the end of the day and Sirius made sure she looked like a right little twit. Can't put much past him or me, really. Poor thing, to even try." He tried his best to look grand, shrugging his shoulders. He then turned his attention back to Lily, who was still looking rather miserable. "Are you sure that's all that was bothering you? This bloke, and being tired?"

Blast him for being so perceptive all of a sudden! Lily swallowed and glanced up, saying, "It's just boring, practical stuff. No need to bother you with it." As she spoke she attempted a smile that didn't even come close to reaching her eyes.

"Liar," he said, reaching out for her hand. "What's up?"

"I just-," she began and hesitated for a moment longer before finally giving in. At this point, it was pointless trying to resist, as he was notoriously stubborn about receiving answers to his questions. There was a little tremor in her voice as she finally admitted to what was really bothering her: "I just didn't realize another year of school would be so expensive." Her lip trembled, but now that she'd begun, Lily found that she couldn't help going on. "There's all these books and supplies - some of the potions ingredients they're asking us to buy are so rare they're ridiculously expensive - and I'm only working part-time, after morning lessons are over. And I just _can't_ ask my parents to help. I'm sure they can hardly afford my tuition as it is."

James frowned, reaching out an arm to wrap around her and draw her close.  
>"Hey," he said as Lily began to cry, "hey, there, don't cry. It'll be alright." She had a point- school <em>was<em> expensive. However, money was not something James had never needed to worry about. One of the benefits of having very old parents was that they had never really needed to spend anything they'd earned. Add onto that the fact that they were Pureblooded, as well as being descended from a very famous Wizarding family... James sighed. Lily's situation was distinctly different from his. Her parents lived modestly. They were conservative folk, and careful with their money, but Mr Evans was not paid particularly well. Of course funds were tight, as they had just paid for Petunia's wedding only a few months before. Surely there was some easy solution here, he decided. They simply weren't looking in the proper place. "What can I do to help, Lils?" he asked.

"I don't know-w-w," she whimpered, trying her hardest not to continue crying and failing miserably at it. "Maybe I d-don't need to live in London. I can just F-f-floo in for classes and things."

"Is rent that expensive? I don't want to put Marlene out, or anything, but you could always come and crash with me at Sirius' place."

This suggestion only seemed to cause Lily further distress. "Oh! Lena...," she moaned. Obviously, she had not even considered the fact that moving back home or out of the city would put a serious financial burden on her best friend.

"Well, Lils-?" asked James, a bit of frustration creeping into his tone. "Sweetheart if you can't afford to live here, you have options. There's no need to fall to pieces. She's one of your best friends in the world; I'm sure she'd understand if you haven't exactly got a Time Turner."

"It's just humiliating," she replied. "We had all these great plans for living together, and now I'm going to have to back out of them. I mean, I can't just leech off of you and Sirius. I'll probably have to go back and live with my parents."

"Well, wait, why?" James asked. "I'm only staying with Sirius until I find my own place. I've just been waiting for a reason to move out. Do you want me to look for a place... you know, for both of us?"

She turned her head to stare at him, eyes round with a mixture of hope and apprehension. "Well I- we can't- I can't let you do that," she protested. "I can make my own way. I just can't do it in London is all."

"Aw, come on," he said, his eyes lighting up as they always did when James was on to something. "Listen, it'll be great! You and me having our own place, it'll be grand. We can look for something over near Sirius. Or closer to St Mungo's. Come on, let me help you. You know money's not a thing."

"I know it's not. I just don't want to be a mooch is all," she protested weakly, more out of pride than any true reluctance to move in with him. In reality, it would be immensely comforting to have that one particular burden alleviated. Her half of the rent was currently taking up nearly two-thirds of her meager paycheck. If she didn't have to worry about paying rent, she'd be able to eat something more than porridge thrice a day.

James was on his feet before she could protest any further. "Do you get a newspaper? Or are there advertisements for flats? I hadn't exactly started the process myself, but this'll be fine, we'll-"

"James, wait," she said, reaching up and tugging at his hand. "I'm not sure how my parents will feel about this." While she wouldn't be using any of their money for living expenses, they were still paying for her schooling, and thus Lily felt some sense of obligation to stay in their good graces. Plus, she loved her parents and didn't want to do something that would cause an estrangement.

"What's the problem? They've met me. It's not like you're shacking up with just any bloke on the street."

"I know," she said quickly, lest he think she was somehow insinuating they didn't like him all that much. "They're just... old-fashioned that way. I'm not saying they wouldn't be okay with it. We've honestly never talked about it, since I hadn't even considered us living together. I figured you'd be finding a flat with Sirius or something."

"Are you concerned about your virtue?" James' grin grew wicked. "Because I swear I'll be a _perfect_ gentleman..."

"Swot," she commented, rolling her eyes and tossing a sofa pillow at him in retaliation. "_I'm_ not worried. I'm just worried Mum and Dad will be. But..." She paused and looked over at him with a smitten grin. "That doesn't mean I don't like the idea-"

"Well, owl them then!" James exclaimed, his mind already racing at the thought of living with Lily.  
>"As long as I have my own room," she continued. "And as long as you really <em>will<em> be a gentleman." Here, she fixed him with the sternest glare she could muster. True, she was a bit concerned that he was jumping to conclusions about certain aspects of their relationship. But only a bit. He had, after all, always been a gentleman to her - at least in that respect. He'd never pressured her to go any further than she was comfortable with, although Lily wasn't naive enough to think he wouldn't happily agree to push the boundaries further should she ever say the word.

The more vivid of the imagined scenes playing in James' mind must have been cut short, because he blinked and looked earnestly at her.  
>"I promise," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching. "But you probably ought to try not to be too tempting." He leaned in and kissed her soundly, then brightened. "So, let's start! Owl your mum and dad if you want to, but we should start thinking about where to live. There are a few flats above some of the shops in Diagon Alley, if you want to look there. Oh, and I should tell Sirius about this- I think he's keen to have his own space back to himself."<p>

Lily sat in somewhat stunned silence as he rambled on, hardly able to comprehend what was happening. While it was true that this was the perfect answer to her financial troubles, this was also a very big step they were taking in their relationship. And she did want to be sure he realized that. "You really want to do this?" she asked, giving his hand a hopeful little squeeze. "It's a big step, you know."

"'Course," James said with a smile. "I'm a _bit_ serious about you, after all. I had sort of hoped we'd get a place together sooner or later, but this kind of solved the wait, didn't it? My intentions are more or less honorable, and as long as you've got your own room, I don't see the problem. That said, you're more than welcome to _not _use your bedroom as much as you like." He moved to kiss her again, threading his fingers through her long hair.

"I figured you'd say that," she giggled, lifting her lips to his as he bent down to kiss her. After a few moments, the thought occurred to her that she wasn't setting a very good precedent if she was going to be this willing to trade discussions of gentlemanly behavior for snogs, so she reluctantly wriggled out of his arms and stood up to find her newspaper. "C'mon then, future flatmate. Let's find ourselves a place to live."

Meanwhile, only a few blocks from where Lily and James attempted to work out the kinks of their living situation, Remus Lupin was trudging home from another day of fruitless job hunting. His day had been little more than a long series of inquiries, applications, and unceremonious refusals. He was hungry, he was downcast, and he was rather quickly running out of financial ends. For too long, he had allowed himself to reside in the protective orb of the Hogwarts school and grounds. Though the reality of his affliction was never far from his thoughts, he had bought into the inspirational speeches made by their professors at the end of the school year that promised with hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm all things were possible. The boy, with his careworn robes and scarred face, was learning that a good work ethic and enthusiasm for one's job were really only appreciated if the bearer was fully human.

Things were not looking good, that was for certain.

Remus headed back to the hostel where he'd been staying during his job hunt. Though he had an open invitation to Sirius' flat, he had been so full of hope that he hadn't considered the possibility that he might not get a job. Now, the reality was beginning to seep into his marrow. There was a definite slump to his narrow shoulders, and his shoes scuffed along the pavement as he went on his way.

Far off in the distance, a rumble of thunder growled across the sky. Remus looked up, fighting the urge to scowl at the gloomy sky. He checked his watch. At seven thirty, he was due to meet up with Peter and compare scars from the week. Peter had just begun a stint working at the Magical Menagerie as a groomer and caretaker. Though his hours were meager and his pay sub-par, Remus was quite certain he'd be willing to give his eyeteeth to have a job- any job at all.  
>He waited at a crosswalk, and then made his way down the right side of the street toward the pub he and Peter had agreed upon as a meeting place. He passed charity shops and a closed bookstore called Obscurus before his eyes fell upon the gilt letters spelling out The Lion's Den. The place had been recommended to them, and though the pub was often short-staffed, the food was decent and the drinks were cold. Thunder rumbled once more, and Remus ducked inside.<p>

Peter was already waiting for him near the back. Remus nodded to the barkeep and trudged toward his friend, his spirits rising at the sight of his friend. By the time he had reached their small table, he was smiling again. He couldn't help it- it was wonderful to see his friend after such a disheartening day. Since they had left Hogwarts only a few months prior, the frequency at which he and his friends met up had dropped considerably. Though he knew that it was only natural, that everyone's post-school plans had to pick up some time, the fact that it was late July and he had _yet_ to find any sort of occupation weighed heavily on his mind. But, now it was time to see Peter, and the beaming grin that split Peter's face was enough to brighten anyone's day.

"Hey, Pete," he said as he slid into his seat.

"Moony, hi!" replied Peter cheerfully. "How's your day been, mate? Any luck with jobs? Have you heard from Sirius and James? I bet they've had _quite_ the time, first day at the Academy, and all." He fidgeted with his silverware, speaking so hurriedly that Remus could scarcely separate the sentences.

"Oh, er, no luck at all," he replied, sorting out his answers in chronological order, which seemed the most logical. He was about to say that he had not, in fact, heard from James or Sirius, but Peter bubbled on.

"I think it's got to be really difficult, even for a first day. I mean, it's the Academy, you know? Crazy work, busy schedules, and a lot a _lot_ of pressure on you all the time! I don't know if I could manage that, you know?"

Apparently, Peter was in a talking mood. Remus decided to wait a short time until he burned himself out a bit. He elected to merely nod or frown at appropriate intervals, and leave it at that.

"Anyway," Peter continued, "I've got some good news, actually. The other shopgirl- not that I'm a shopgirl and she's the other, cos I'm not exactly a girl, just help run the shop but I s'pose that shop_boy_ doesn't have the proper ring to it- anyway, she and I talked a bit today and, well, I think we got on rather well, and I've asked her to go and get a coffee with me sometime and she said she'd _definitely_ think about it! How's that, eh? Pretty good, s'what I think."

"That _is_ good," Remus agreed.

Having apparently said all that he was going to say for the time being, Peter contented himself to simply look at Remus. Every once in a while, his eyes flickered over Remus' shoulder toward the door.

"Er," Remus said, pivoting in his chair and following Peter's gaze. "Are you waiting for someone else, then?"

"Oh, no!" Peter said cheerily. "Just thought that James and Sirius might surprise us and pop in. I sent them an owl at Sirius' flat letting them know where we'd be. You know, if they were interested."

"Ah," said Remus. "When did you send it? That might be nice, you know, if they came by."

"That's what I was thinking!" grinned Peter, proudly. "I sent it last night."

Remus raised his eyebrows. This was, indeed, a pleasant surprise on Peter's part. Firstly, that he'd had the forethought to owl ahead rather than wish someone else had done, secondly: if either of their other mates _did _actually show up. Perhaps the shock of Peter initiating something might be enough to drag them out. The truth of the matter was that neither Remus nor Peter had seen much of their friends lately- James, in particular. Though they'd all attended the first few Order meetings together, their schedules had morphed into something that required planning. When things got bad, the whole group (or those available) would meet. Quiet weeks came and went without them assembling at all. Was it terrible that Remus was looking forward to bad weeks in some quietly perverse way? The stability he had come to know at Hogwarts had been a drug. Though he hadn't exactly been in friendship withdrawal, this weaning off of the sense of community and fellowship hurt nonetheless.

Midway into their second pot of tea, the front door was flung open and Sirius strode inside. He caught sight of Remus and Peter at their small table, and made his way toward them. Hellos were exchanged, three plates of bangers and mash ordered, and the boys settled in.  
>"So, can we expect James here tonight?" Remus asked, grinning broadly.<p>

"Should do, as I reminded him of it on the way home" replied Sirius, tipping his chair onto its back legs, "and thanks for the note, Pete."

Peter smiled, nodding into his teacup.  
>"Glad to do it," he said after a hearty swallow.<p>

"So, Moony," Sirius said, turning his attention to his friend, "you're looking a bit pale. Are you feeling alright?"

Remus shrugged.  
>"Alright, considering I haven't got a job and I've not secured a place yet for the twentieth."<p>

"Oh, man, that's coming up," moaned Peter. "I haven't asked off for it yet!"

"Asked off?" Remus asked, looking mildly horrified. "You're not saying you're skivving off work for a moonlighting?"

Sirius rolled his eyes.  
>"You always seem so surprised, Moony. Of course we're all going to be there. We'll find a place outside town somewhere and we'll manage it. I've been fancying a trip down to Kent. See the sights, hike in the dark, and so on. Peter's on board and James'll be chiming in his, as well. No protestations, no excuses."<p>

Remus couldn't help but smile.  
>"Well, thanks," he said.<p>

The three boys' meals arrived a short while later, and their good-natured conversation fell silent as they dug in. A few mouthfuls into his hearty supper, Sirius was distracted by a commotion near the bar.

"You listen here, and you listen good an' proper!" shouted the barman to the waitress. "If I've tol' ye once, I've tol' ye a hunnert times! Ye can't just leave before yer shift is over! Ye just can't!"

The waitress stood, her hands on her hips, glaring at him.  
>"Can't I?" she said, coldly. "Nigel, I've had it up to <em>here<em> with you. You give me far too many hours, you don't pay near enough, and I've got my boy at home what needs looking after. It's not my fault you can't keep wait staff on. When you hired me, I was clear I had a simple son and I couldn't be in all the time. If this is the way we're ending it, then I'm sorry and let's be done with it. I'm off. He's rung here eight times, and I'm going home to him. Bollocks to you."

Nigel the barman gaped at her as she turned on her heel and strode out the door, flinging down her apron as she stalked away. After a moment, he slumped on a stool, wringing his hands.

A ringing silence settled over the bar, where the patrons immediately ceased their conversations to gawp at the man. A few moments later, he got to his feet, and began wiping down the bar with vigor. The damp rag made a squeaking sound on the lacquered countertop, and the man's face grew steadily redder as he worked. Suddenly, he threw down his rag and yelled: "Lion's Den be damned! I'm moving back to Oxenholme, and sod the lot of you!"

He moved swiftly through the swinging doors into the kitchen, and re-emerged pulling on a brown leather jacket. He stalked out the front door and took off in the direction that the woman had gone, scowling heavily as thunder rolled once more.

The silence that had lingered in the pub during the row between Nigel and The Waitress was broken by nervous laughter and the some large, jowly chap saying "So I guess that means drinks are on the house?"

Peter looked up from his supper, brows narrowed in confusion, and muttered to Remus and Sirius, "What the bloody hell was that all about?"

"Dunno," Remus replied, eyeing the men at the front of the bar who were eyeing the bottles behind the oaken countertop. "But I don't think he'll be returning anytime soon. Pity. Hagrid said this place was doing well."

"Good help is hard to find!" piped Peter. "At least, that's what my aunt always says. Says she doesn't know how Muggles make anything work without a couple of house-elves on hand. I guess this means we've got to find a new place, then."

"Yeah, maybe," Sirius said, his gaze fixed on a point at least a million miles away.

"So, do you think it'd be alright," Remus ventured after a moment, "if I stepped back into the kitchen and nicked a bit of food? Grocery money's coming up short at the moment..."

Fighting the urge to smile, Sirius shook his head.  
>"Oh go on, Moony," he said, then held up his wrist to display the time. "Looks like James forgot to show up, after all." He sighed, then drained the tea in his cup. "You know, I miss it back when he was single and mopey and girly all the time. At least he was dependable. Didn't split his time, all the time."<p>

Remus scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah," he agreed as he grabbed his pack and prepared to enter the pub's kitchen, "but that was back when he wrote _poetry_, and if it's all the same to you, I'd rather we _didn't_ see that side of him again."

Sirius couldn't help but laugh.


	4. Into the Lion's Den

The Riddle House was not known for festivity- nor, really, for any life at all. The large house had a hollow look, according to the inhabitants of neighboring Little Hangleton. On occasion, a member of the household staff could be seen halfheartedly (or, in the case of the gardener, vigorously) tending to the place, but on the whole the old Riddle House gave off an eerie aura. Stories were swapped around the village pub of young kids who had broken in and seen what they swore were ghosts. Others insisted that poltergeist took up residence within the once-grand walls. Since the day in which the Riddles had died there, in circumstances both sinister and widely unknown, the place seemed incapable of sustaining life. New residents never stayed long, and even the rats shunned the place.

But now, a fire blazed in a long, dark room - and that room rang with celebration. Many had come, even those who had not dealt the blow that they gathered to applaud. A great press of black-robed bodies moved about the room, throwing great long shadows over the walls. There was noise: the cacophony of voices, laughter and the clink of glasses adding an unprecedented livelihood to the room. The fire lit the dark room, throwing shadows dancing upon the wall. It commemorated the latest victory of the dark uprising. A prominent member of the Auror Office had fallen, and many of the Ministry were feeling the real crush of submission. Those gathered in the darkened house were steadily gaining the upper hand. The war was was starting to escalate. Victory was beginning to look certain. Nothing could stop them now. Within the chamber, dark robed people flitted like shades. The wind ruffled through the window, causing the fire to dance and goosebumps to rise.

Robes pushed up above her elbows, the dark mark gleaming on her pale forearm, Bellatrix Lestrange  
>laughed. Though she had not been the one to deal the winning blow, she was sure to mark her place on their latest victory. Morale was high within the dark ranks. Bellatrix was almost tempted to dance, so great was her pleasure in their latest achievement. Part of her was sorry the war would end; it was great fun despite the death or imprisonment of a comrade . Yet their sacrifice was noble, and necessary. Those on their side that died were so very few compared to the vast number of people who perished by their hands. Truly, it would be a joy to die for so dear a cause. She shook back her long, dark hair; eyes alight with the jubilation of victory. She approached the head of the table, selecting a dark glass bottle. She neatly poured a measure of its contents into a glass for herself. Looking up, she caught the eyes of a familiar face, framed neatly by a swath of silvery-blond hair.<p>

"Lucius," she acknowledged, her lips twitching in a smile. Bellatrix poured a second glass and held it out to him, grinning. "Many happy returns on your engagement."

Lucius received the glass from her with a slight nod. "Everything is proceeding smoothly. I expect Narcissa will have alerted the right people," he said, swirling his glass with his hand.  
>"She's alerted our mother, at the least," Bellatrix acknowledged.<p>

Lucius nodded.  
>"I wish you'd start bringing her along," Bellatrix said, eyeing him carefully. "At this point, it is rather unseemly for you to be so… divided. Particularly when victory is so near."<p>

"She'll take more of a role when the Dark Lord requires it," said Lucius curtly, placing his glass back down on the dark wooden table without sipping from it. "She does not fear her duties. She is prepared for the risks."

"Offered service is much sweeter than compulsion," frowned Bellatrix, "and she'd do well to avail herself to our master. My sister is an obedient girl. If you don't know that yet-" she raised her eyebrows "-you'll know soon enough."

Lucius said nothing. His attention was drawn to the room's entrance. A hush fell over the group. Conversation halted, and the doors opened slowly.

Tall and pale, He stepped forward, into the current of wind that blew through the window and rattled  
>through the old house. Though silent, he radiated a chilling power that stilled conversation. Faces turned in reverence, his most loyal sunk to their knees in deference to his very being. He slipped through the ranks wordlessly, bound for the front of the hall from which he might address those assembled here.<p>

At once, Bellatrix and Lucius sunk to the floor. From under her eyelashes, Bellatrix caught the smiling gaze and nod of her master as he approached. The smile had frozen her. His beauty was dark and bestial, the face of a snake in the dark. Rodolphus understood. He was one of the few who could understand the pull of such a man, of such power. He, too was here tonight, but was among the faces in the crowd. She alone had been invited to such a high position. She alone was invited to stand beside the Dark Lord on this night of nights.

The Dark Lord stood before the group, his pale skin seeming to glow in the wash of moonlight that bled through the gauzy curtains that framed the windows. There seemed to be a great intake of breath as he raised his hands above the group. Bellatrix bit the inside of her cheek in anticipation for the words that would surely fall from her master's lips at any moment. She could taste the sweet, metallic warmth of blood. Any moment now…

"The great fool, Herbert Merriweather, is dead" said the Dark Lord, quietly. His eyes glinted in the pale light. "With you, my assembled, I am most pleased."

At his words, she felt a joy surge through her veins. Her knees felt weak, and a scarlet flush darkened her pale skin. She itched to reach out and touch him, to take hold of his robes and kiss his feet. She forced herself to remain still, tears brimming in her eyes, and a great laugh boiling in her throat.

The Dark Lord continued.

"With him out of the way, we seek access to Roger Dorling, head of the Auror Office. He is known to sympathise with the cause of blood traitors. He himself has assisted with the organization of hiding some of the known Mudbloods within the Ministry. He will fall all too easily, now that my faithful have prepared the way. I say I am pleased, not that you may grow complacent and self-congratulatory. There is much to be done. There is work unfinished. There are some gathered here who may doubt the certitude of our victory- oh yes, I know you are here. Soon, you will desperately regret your weak faith in this, our most glorious Cause. Soon, you will despair."

The silence pressed down on the horde of Death Eaters. Maskless, they did their best to avoid making eye contact. They stared resolutely at the face of their Lord.

"I invite you to repent now, you unfaithful servants. Lord Voldemort will show you now mercy. This is offered but the one time. Repent for your unbelief, and you will not be harmed."

A great sob tore from the throat of a large, hulking man standing near the empty fireplace. He threw himself to his knees, prostrating on the ground.

"F-forgive me, m-my L-lord," he choked. "I see now that what you have foretold has c-come to p-pass."

With a cold smile, the Dark Lord advanced on the man. The crowd parted before him, silently distancing themselves from the crying man on the floor. Bellatrix watched avidly, her ears pricked and waiting for the two gorgeous words that would spring from the Dark Lord's lips and end this sorry, sobbing man.

A long, pale hand extended from the Dark Lord's robes. He stretched his palm to cover the man's head, curling his fingers inward and digging his nails into the man's scalp.

"You are sorry," the Dark Lord affirmed. "And we are pleased to hear it. Though, we shall need proof of your true repentance, Burgess. A mission selected only for you." He drew the man up to stand on his feet, but the words the Dark Lord now whispered to him were lost in the room. Bellatrix, listening as hard as she could, waiting for the flash of green light that indicated justice to be served, was soon filled with anxious disappointment. Rather than being stricken by a flash of death, the man sank gratefully to his knees.

"Of course, my Lord; thank you, my Lord," he repeated over and over, clasping his hands together and bowing his head in total supplication.

The anticipation that had been ballooning in Bellatrix' chest deflated anticlimactically. Her fingers twitched toward her own wand, but she knew any action unauthorized by the Dark Lord at a meeting such as this would not be well met.

"There are others," the Dark Lord continued as the man stretched to kiss the hem of his robes, "Others among us that have doubted our cause, have whispered together when they think Lord Voldemort cannot hear them. You have failed to confess; my patience has worn out. Redmonde, Woolmington, and Shaw... Rise."

Heads turned to a group of three kneeling near the foot of the long, dark wooden table. The three robed Death Eaters got to their feet, faces draining of color. The rest of the gathered members of the Dark Uprising edged away from the now-named traitors, as if concerned their treachery would leech onto their own clothing. The man called Redmonde looked wildly around, silently imploring one of his fellows to vouch for him. Woolmington, a tall man with a broad, mushroomlike nose stood stalk-still, gazing boldly into the face of the Dark Lord. Shaw merely whimpered, shifting from foot to foot as a thin, trickling sound indicated he had just soiled his pants.

The Dark Lord's lip curled.

The next few moments were nothing more than three quick flashes of bright green light. After the third thump of a body hitting the floor, the Dark Lord turned back to the assembled group.

"Let this be a caution," he said clearly. "And remember that the goal for which we have striven is very, very near. Soon, my Death Eaters, we will be restored to the place we deserve. Soon, the natural order will be restored, and we will take our place as the proven worthy. My most trusted, faithful servants have been informed of the next phase of our plan. Should I require your services, look to the most worthy to contact you."

Swiftly, with his robes and leather boots making almost no noise as he strode along the hall, the Dark Lord joined Bellatrix near the tall, single-paned windows. She turned her back to the assembled group, relishing this display of her master's affection. The summer breeze was balmy, but cooler than the temperature of the meeting hall. Her heavy lidded eyes fixed on the stars. To an outsider, Bellatrix's manner seemed almost bored, though she was anything but. Inside, she was roiling.

The battle had been won, but dawn would bring the next. Their mission to purge the earth of all its filth was going well, but it had not yet ended. There was work still to be done; glorious work, bloody work, cleansing work. The very scope of it made her want to laugh. She turned back toward the group, raising her goblet aloft.

"The Dark Lord," she saluted, addressing the room as a whole, but keeping her eyes on Lord Voldemort himself. A small smile graced her lips as she lifted her glass towards him and inclined her head, before drinking to his title.

"The Dark Lord," she heard others echo.

Miles away, Sirius Black lay supine on the dark red sofa in the middle of his flat. He checked his watch lazily, scratching his stomach with his free hand. In a matter of minutes, his best mate was due to arrive at the flat that they shared. They had agreed, earlier in the day, that after James had dinner with Lily, the boys would all meet at Sirius' flat for a bit of fun. The full moon was once more on its way, and this time, with all of them living so far and wide, a successful moonlit jaunt was going to take more than the usual amount of planning.

While Sirius was still musing over a list of potential places for an outing, he heard a key turning in the front door. Moments later, it swung open, and his best mate's voice called out, "Padfoot?"

"Oh don't mind me," Sirius responded, "I've just been lying here for hours, waiting for you to come back to me. Evans kept you longer than usual this time, didn't she?" This last part was accompanied by a naughty wiggling of his eyebrows, as James had rounded the sofa and taken a seat in the adjacent easy chair.

James, who was more than used to this sort of teasing by now, didn't even roll his eyes. "Yeah, yeah," he said, waving his hand to signify how tired this running gag of Sirius' had become. "And when are the others arriving?"

Sirius shrugged, "Dunno exactly. Peter's boss has picked up a nasty habit of making the poor bugger stay late after the shop closes. And Remus is probably working late on purpose to make up for the hours he'll have to miss this weekend."

"Right," James responded, "That's all well enough, I s'pose. There's something I wanted to talk to you about anyway."

"There is?" Sirius sat up this time, his interest piqued. James looked serious, which was not the sort of expression he usually wore during their conversations.

"Yeah. It's about Lily, actually," James continued, raising a hand and swiping it nervously through his hair. He wasn't certain why he suddenly felt nervous talking about this. Perhaps it was because this was a big decision, and the fact that he was finally telling someone about it made it all real. "We've decided to move in together."

"You have?" Sirius' brows furrowed even further. "Er... I guess that's all right then. Just... I don't want to hear anything, okay? Or worse- _see_ anything."

"Not in _here_," James said, chuckling. "We're looking for a flat we can rent together."

"Oh," said Sirius, looking awkward. "Already, then?"

"Looks like it," affirmed James, "she's having a time with finances, at the moment. Mungo's has ended up being a bit steeper than Hogwarts. She's living with Marlene, but dove in before she had a good idea of costs."

"Well, won't this leave Marlene in the cold?" asked Sirius sharply. "Suddenly having double the rent to pay?"

James shrugged. "Lily reckons it'll be all right," he offered, wondering at his own defensive tone of voice.

Sirius held up his hands. "James, I don't care what you do. If it doesn't work out, you can come back 'round anytime."

"Oh," James said, anxiety deflating almost instantly, "er... thanks, mate."

Sirius moved from the couch toward the kitchen, returning a few moments later with two butterbeers. "A drink to the happy future?" he offered. As James uncapped the proffered bottle, Sirius continued. "May your mornings be filled with little to no dragon breath, and your dustbins unfettered by monthly female ailments! Here's to long nights of shagging, and the end of your social life as we know it! You're becoming a _woman_, Prongs. This is a highly important moment in your life. Here's to you!" He raised his bottle aloft and drank deeply, but James did not. His neck had grown quite red, and his shoulders tensed.

"Sirius," he said, his tone meticulously even, "it isn't going to be like any of that. I mean it."

Sirius grinned cheekily at him. "So says you, Prongs. But you can't deny your track record hasn't been exactly spotless since the two of you got together. You nearly missed _several _of our dear Moony's transformations. Had the cloak on you a time or two when we needed it, didn't you? And-"

"None of that had to do with Lily," James interrupted. "As you've ever-so-courteously pointed out, those have been _my _mistakes, _my _shortcomings. I've already apologized for each one, several times. I'm embarrassed I've been flighty. Going forward, I'll be hyper-vigilant, I promise," he insisted, "now can you _please_ drop it?"

Looking chastened, Sirius ducked his head.  
>"Sorry," he mumbled. "Just...er... 'spose I'm a bit touchy. I sort of thought we'd be making more of a go of it, living here. You know, since we're both at the Academy, and all."<p>

James shrugged. "It's fine," he replied, "but do us a favor and stop blaming Lily for anything that I do wrong, alright? She's trying her best for you to like her, you know. After all that back at school, you could at least be civil."

Sirius said nothing, but took another long drink of butterbeer.

"Anyway, the lads'll be here soon, won't they?" asked James, his eye on the large clock near the mantle.

"I told you, I don't know," said Sirius, rolling his eyes. "I swear, James. You've a one-track mind, sometimes."

At that moment, however, there was a knock at the door. A quick check revealed Peter, standing on the doorstep, his hands shoved deeply in his pockets. Sirius stood back to let him in, somewhat relieved to have another of their friends at his place.

"Oi, Pete!" hollered James from inside. "Good to see you, mate! How've you been?"

"James!" cried Peter, looking quite pleased. "We've missed having you around! Thought for sure that you'd have come to the Lion's Den the other week. Did Sirius tell you what happened? How the barkeep walked out and called it all off?" He made his way to the couch and sat down heavily, shucking off his shoes and leaning toward his friend. Behind him, Sirius closed the door and headed back into the kitchen, returning laden with another bottle. He handed it to Peter, who struggled a moment before uncapping it.

"I did hear," said James. "I went by there, earlier, and it's closed up. There's a sign in the door, too- says it's for sale. Do we know anyone who wants a pub? I quite liked that place."

Sirius shrugged.  
>"We should buy it," he said, taking another drink of his butterbeer. "I bet I'd be a good barkeep."<p>

James laughed.  
>"No- you see, Padfoot, you'd have to <em>sell<em> the liquor, not just drink it all."

"Are you calling me a lush?" demanded Sirius, a gleam in his eye.

"Are you denying it?" replied James.

Sirius seemed to think it over a moment, and then shook his head.  
>"Spose not," he shrugged. "But, think about it. It'd be cool."<p>

"Ooh, you should," grinned Peter after a long pull from his bottle. "Of course, you'd give discounts on the top-shelf stuff to your dearest mates," he said, his eyebrow cocked.

"Yeah, right," said Sirius, rolling his eyes. "You lot don't need access to any more hooch."

"Hark who's talking," said James, raising his butterbeer in Sirius' direction. "You are, after all, the admitted lush."

"Stuff you," replied Sirius cheerily, sitting down on the floor. "Heard from Remus today, Pete?"

Peter shook his head. "I haven't. But he shouldn't be long."

"Working late?"

"Er.. no," Peter said, looking curiously at Sirius. "He hasn't got a job. You know that."

"Oh, no, I'd forgotten, actually." Sirius' cheeks darkened. "I thought he'd gotten that interview at the bookshop?"

Peter gave a halfhearted smile.  
>"They said they'd let him know, and we all know what <em>that<em> means."

"Poor Moony," said James, his brow furrowed. "Wish there was something we could do for him."

"Yeah, but you know he'd not take kindly to handouts, our Moony," sighed Sirius.

There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the rattling at the door.

"Speak of the Dark Lord, and he appears" said Sirius, grinning. "There's our darling Moony."

To James, Peter mumbled; "Well, _that_ is in bad taste, innit?"

James shrugged, getting to his feet with a grin on his face. Remus' pale face and narrow shoulders appeared in the doorway. As he saw James and Sirius, his strained expression relaxed.

"Hullo, there, lads," he said brightly. "James- it's good to see you. I've not been the last to arrive in a while, now," he said, as a smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, get used to it," said James, aware Sirius was watching him. "It's taken a bit to get things sorted, but my attendance record is about to get spotless."

"We'll believe it when we see it," chided Peter.

"Just like old times then? Excellent," Remus said, ignoring both Peter's comment and the sharp expression on Sirius' face as he watched the exchange from his seat in the living room.

Eager to change the subject, James nudged his friend into the room and resumed control of the conversation. "Now that we're all here, we can begin the meeting," he said as he sunk back into the armchair he had occupied before Remus' arrival. "First question: where the hell are we going to do this?"

"Well, we could always pop by your da's place," offered Sirius as he handed Remus a butterbeer. "You've got grounds, out there, at least."

"No!" said Remus, unstoppering his drink. "Absolutely not. We can't go all the way to Wales, for one-"

"What? Why not? Come off it, Moony, it's not like it's a _school night_," Sirius shot back. "And besides, James and me are familiar with the layout of the place. It'd be fine. Plus, there aren't exactly droves of people out in Aberystwyth, so we've less of a chance of being seen."

"Well, Aberystwyth isn't isolated, either," James frowned. "What about somewhere in Gloucestershire? There's some woods there." Things had been much easier with the Forbidden Forest at their backdoor. Now that they were out on their own, it seemed more and more important to change locations at each full moon, on the off chance that they would be spotted. "Or down near Hever. Not much but farms and sheep, there. Oi, that's it! You love mutton, Moony!" He reached across and smacked Remus on the back. "Remember that time-?"

Remus flushed.  
>"I'd rather not, actually," he said darkly, his ears burning with embarrassment. "That was quite messy. I only hope we left enough gold to pay for a new lamb for that poor farmer."<p>

"You _hope_," Sirius grinned. "That thing was probably the farmer's pride and joy. Raised it like a son, I'm sure of it. Enters it in contests at the fair. He's got big, big plans for it. Sings it to sleep at night. Cuddles it in the winter. And then comes our old Lupin, traipsing in and tears it to little, muttony shreds-"

"Oh, stop it!" groaned Remus, running a hand over his pale, scarred face. "I had been feeling ill! I hadn't eaten, and I got carried away!"

Peter drained the rest of his butterbeer.  
>"All jokes aside, Hever sounds as good as any plan."<p>

"Only if you lot _promise_ not to let me terrorise the livestock," Remus implored.

"That's up to you, mate," James grinned. "But we'll do all we can. You're a lot stronger than you look, you know."

"I know," conceded Remus, unable to completely keep the edge of misery from coloring his voice.

Eager to settle on a location, Sirius cut in: "Alright, so we're headed down to Hever for the full moon. Don't be late-" he shot a look at James "-and be sure to keep dear Moony from making another mutton massacre. Next order of business," he declared, "is to inform you all that we're going to try to buy a pub."

"A pub?" asked Remus weakly, his thoughts turning immediately to the state of his bank account (or, rather, lack thereof).

"A pub!" repeated Sirius. "The Lion's Den is for sale, and I think we ought to make an offer."

"Hang on, 'we'?" James asked. "No offense, mate, but I don't fancy being made a waitress, thanks."

"As if I'd hire you to be a waitress," Sirius retorted. "Unless our whole clientele was made of poofs, you wouldn't be that helpful bringing in customers. Or keeping them happy."

"I don't know," chimed in Peter, "I bet that'd bring in loads of blokes!"

There was a beat of very heavy silence. The other three turned to look at Peter, blank expressions on their faces. Remus fidgeted with the frayed cuff of his slacks.

"Er... thanks, Wormtail," James said, "but no thanks."

"We could ask Lily to do it," Peter continued, determined to be helpful. "Wasn't she looking for a part-time gig anyway?"

Sirius snickered. "Now she'd be aces at bringing in the blokes."

"Hiring Lily would be contingent on actually getting this place, but moreover, actually making money on it," said Remus, forestalling any of James' objections. "I'm certain she'll be pleased if this works out, but perhaps let's not dive in headfirst?"

"What makes you think it won't work out?" Sirius responded, a trace of a scowl darkening his features.

"Your lack of liquor license, for one," said Remus, shrugging. "Plus, the fact that you've never actually had a job in your entire life. No experience with cooking, or with hospitality. Just a few."

Sirius scoffed.  
>"I understand hospitality perfectly well," he said loftily. "You talk as though I didn't have Kreacher skulking and scolding at my heels my entire life. And I can get a license," he said quickly, as Remus opened his mouth.<p>

"Well, mate, I think this sounds like a lark," James said, putting his feet on the coffee table. "But don't forget about the Academy. Who'll hold the place when you're on missions, or in classes?"

"I'll find someone," Sirius responded, his voice growing a bit petulant at the persistent questioning of his latest project.

"Do you actually have enough gold left from your Uncle Alphard to buy the place?" Remus asked.

"I suppose. Although my rent's about to double now that Prongs is moving out."

"You are?" Remus asked, looking over at James with a raised brow.

"Er," James said, shooting a glance at Sirius, "yeah, looks like it. Lily's needing a bit of help with money, and I told her she and I could find a place. It'd have happened eventually, anyway, so what's the point of waiting?"

"Nice one, James," grinned Peter, his expression laden with innuendo. "You gotten her fully naked, yet, or are you saving that to christen your new place?"

James' neck glowed bright red, but this time, Sirius came to his rescue. "For Merlin's sake, Wormy. This is _Prongs_ we're talking about. Bloke practically oozes nobility."

James' embarrassment was undeterred.  
>"It's not-! We haven't- I mean, not yet, anyway, but I-" he spluttered.<p>

"Oh, look, now you've broken him!" cried Remus, lobbing a pillow at Peter, who failed to duck and took it full in the face. He threw it back, missing his friend by several feet and knocking over a picture frame that held a photo of the group at their graduation from Hogwarts school.

"Aw, Wormtail," Sirius groaned, snatching up his wand from the coffee table and pointing it at the frame. "_Reparo_!" he said, watching the tiny glass shards mend themselves back together. Carefully he placed the frame back where it belonged, and turned to face his friends.

"Alright, so none of you want to back me on this pub?" he asked, his hands on his hips.

"Not until I believe you can manage it properly," said Remus still laughing at the utterly ridiculous indignant expression on James' face.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" demanded Sirius.

"Prove you can bartend!" replied Remus. "C'mon, lads. Though even then, Padfoot, it's debatable. Can't back you if I haven't got any money, now can I?"

"Shut up," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "You can work at the pub, too. I'll pay you in rent and food. Prongs is moving out, which leaves a whole room here."

"Oh no," Remus shook his head, "I couldn't."

"You can, Remus," James chimed in. "And there's really no reason why not. Honestly, I'll feel better knowing I'm not leaving Padfoot here all by his lonesome. He gets destructive." He scratched the back of his neck, feeling the skin warm with residual embarrassment. He had expected his friends to poke at him. After all, most people would probably assume that if they were living together, they were going to be rather intimate. Truth be told, it had crossed his mind a fair few times that physicality was the logical (and rather desirable) next step in the progression of their relationship. Yet, he had failed to mention the fact that Lily was insisting on separate bedrooms. And secretly, he was relieved by it. Though James Potter was far from a saint, something about being with Lily was different than it had been with other girls. It thrilled him, but it was also a bit terrifying.

But, those were issues to address at a later time. Sirius had been right; James had been distant, lately. He was determined to correct this. These were the best mates he could hope to have, warts and all.

"James, catch!" Sirius called as he levitated a glass of something red that appeared to be smoking toward him.

"What is it?" asked James, eyeing it suspiciously. He glanced around at his three best friends, noting the telltale signs of scarcely suppressed mirth. After some brief cajoling, he tipped back the liquid. The three burst out laughing as James' hair suddenly began to grow, pouring over his shoulders like a cape.

"Aw, sod you!" James exclaimed as he blundered forward, his sight and coordination inhibited by the thick curtain of hair. Sirius gave a mad laugh and danced out of James' reach.

"That's what you get for moving in with her!" Sirius called over his shoulder, grinning wildly. "Gotta make sure you look like the _girl_ you are!"

James pushed back his flowing bangs. "I'm going to curse you out of your tiny mind, Padfoot," he growled.

"I know," Sirius nodded, "but you've got to admit, you look divine." 


	5. AUTHOR'S NOTE: AN APOLOGY

Our dearest, beloved, and faithful readers;

I hope you are all doing well. I must present my sincerest apologies for the ridiculous amount of time you have had to wait in order to receive news concerning our darling Marauders and friends. Both Amy and myself have had some crazy life changes take place over the past few months, including several different jobs, a move or two across the country, and a handful of graduations. Please accept our humblest thanks for your continued support and readership.

We are pleased to inform you that new chapters in our "Those That Thrice Defied Him" trilogy are indeed coming your way. You can look forward to an update very soon. If there is anything we can do for you, or should you like a personal apology for the wait, please feel free to PM us, and one of us will respond as soon as possible.

Thank you again for your support.

Yours sincerely,

Amy & Lindsey


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